He was hauled off after 45 minutes.
After a promising start to the season, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's form has deserted him. The Armenian playmaker has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United but was given a chance to impress in Friday evening's FA Cup third-round clash with Derby County.
It did not end well for him.
The 28-year-old was ridiculed on Twitter after being replaced by Romelu Lukaku at the break. Quite simply, Mkhitaryan's confidence has been shattered after a wretched run of form. He is a confidence player. When it's high, he is a joy to watch: a player who can create and score and carry the ball with great ease. When it's low, he's a shadow of the wonderfully productive playmaker we saw at Borussia Dortmund.
Against the Rams, the latter showed up. It's unfortunate to see his decline but his days at Old Trafford now look numbered. The worrying thing is that he has been in the doldrums for a few months now. With no discernible sign of improvement, maybe it's time for Mourinho to cut him loose.
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Luckily, United avoided the unwanted scenario of a replay after Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku both scored late goals to secure a 2-0 win. While Lingard and Lukaku celebrated at the final whistle, Mkhitaryan may have had that familiar sinking feeling after another difficult night. He has been linked with a move to Inter Milan while his former club Dortmund are also apparently interested. It remains to be seen if he is still a United player beyond transfer deadline day.
