Manchester United open to selling outcasts like Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Luke Shaw, says Jose Mourinho

As with Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin last January, Mourinho is willing to offload United's driftwood 'for the right price'

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has tumbled down the pecking order at Manchester United (Getty)

Jose Mourinho admitted on Friday that he is open to selling Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Luke Shaw and other fringe members of his Manchester United squad when the transfer window re-opens in January.

Mourinho allowed Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin to leave Old Trafford midway through last season after the pair had made just eight appearances each during the campaign.

This year, it is Mkhitaryan who finds himself out of favour, having been named in just one of Mourinho’s matchday squads since the start of the November international break.

The Armenian began the season in productive fashion, registering five assists in his first three Premier League outings, but his form tailed off dramatically during the autumn.

Since an ineffective display in the defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the former Borussia Dortmund playmaker has only been trusted with a further 19 minutes on the pitch.

Shaw, meanwhile, made his first league start of the season in Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Bournemouth after previously being limited to appearances in the EFL Cup and a Champions League dead rubber.

The left-back, signed from Southampton for £30m three years ago, has long been linked with a move away from United having failed to establish himself Mourinho’s plans.

Marouane Fellaini is another player who could be allowed to move on in January, despite the United manager thinking highly of him. The Belgian’s current contract expires in the summer and United are yet to overcome an impasse in negotiations with Fellaini's representatives.

At his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s journey to West Bromwich Albion, Mourinho said that unhappy or out-of-favour players will be granted moves in January, if only “for the right price”.

“That’s my approach as a manager, in cases where the club advises me,” he said. “I think every player has a price.

“If a player is not happy, if a player brings with him the request with the number that we consider a good number for us - like it happened for us last season with Memphis and Morgan - I would never say no.”

United are unlikely to rid themselves of any central defenders, however, following the news that Eric Bailly is expected to be unavailable to them for two to three months.

The 23-year-old requires surgery on an ankle injury suffered while representing the Ivory Coast on international duty in November and now faces a race against time to return for United’s Champions League knockout phase tie against Sevilla.

“He goes to surgery, the decision is made,” Mourinho confirmed on Friday. “I don't say [he is out] for the rest of the season but it's for the next two or three months.”