Eric Bailly accuses Manchester United of favouring English players, he hasn't held back

Bailly hasn't had much luck when it comes to injuries, in fairness.

In fact, he has already notched two clean sheets in two games for Les Phoceens, who gave the former Villarreal man an incredible welcome ahead of his debut.

"The club should avoid favouring English players and give everyone a chance," he said.

"[The club should] encourage competition in the dressing room, not just look out for some. I’ve always had the feeling that the national player was prioritised.

"That doesn’t happen at Chelsea or other big Premier League clubs. Some people take it for granted that they are going to start, and that weakens the team. Luckily [Erik] Ten Hag has a lot of character and I hope he can change that dynamic.

"I met Erik Ten Hag in the dressing room at the end of last season when he went to sign his contract.

"I was packing my things because my intention was to leave, but he told me he wanted me to stay because he was going to give minutes to everyone.

"I agreed to do the summer tour with United, and he kept his word, but I don’t want to play every now and then. I want to do it every week and feel important. I want to get my confidence back."

Back in April, Bailly's response to a fan asking Ten Hag to play him more went viral.

In a post on Instagram, a fan asked for the Ivorian to start alongside Raphael Varane during the 2022/23 campaign – a comment that brought the reply: "Please," with a laughing emoji and praying emoji.

Thoughts on Bailly's recent comments? Do you agree with his statements?

Let us know in the comments.