Roberto De Zerbi excluded former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood from his starting lineup against Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend.
Greenwood joined Olympique de Marseille from United in a permanent deal worth over £26 million last summer. The 23-year-old took little time to find his feet in the south of France, establishing himself as the Phocaeans’ most important attacker.
The Englishman has 15 goals and three assists in 26 Ligue 1 appearances and only Ousmane Dembele has scored more in France’s top-flight than the ex-United forward this season.
However, despite his incredible output, De Zerbi decided to bench Greenwood against PSG on Sunday.
He was also absent from the starting lineup for last weekend’s defeat to RC Lens.
Against PSG, Greenwood was introduced in the final 30 minutes of the game but he could do little to help his side, as they suffered a 3-1 defeat in Le Classique at the Parc des Princes.
While explaining his controversial decision, the Marseille boss handed Greenwood a warning over his fitness.
The Italian tactician said after the loss (via The Mirror): “Mason is a crucial player for us. But if I’m not mistaken, at the start of the season Dembele wasn’t in the starting 11. We need Mason, but he has to be in good physical condition. That’s very important at this stage of the season.”
This is De Zerbi’s second warning to Greenwood, as the ex-Brighton and Hove Albion manager also raised concerns over his physique earlier this campaign.
Despite De Zerbi’s worries, Greenwood has attracted plenty of interest with his exploits in France.
Recently, The Peoples Person relayed a report claiming Barcelona are exploring the possibility of signing Greenwood.
Any development should pique the interest of United as they have a 50 percent sell-on clause.
Feature image Miguel Medina via Getty Images
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Vishal Singh
Vishal has covered football for over five years. Currently a writer at The Peoples Person. Big fan of ball-playing center-backs!
