Jesse Lingard Responds To Claims He Asked For Time Off

Jesse Lingard has responded following Ralf Rangnick's claims that he asked to miss Manchester United's upcoming FA Cup game on Friday.

Lingard was expected to depart Old Trafford in the January transfer window, with a number of teams interested in the 29-year-old who is yet to start a Premier League game this season.

Newcastle United were one of the favourites to sign Lingard, temporarily before his contract at United expires in the summer, but Rangnick's team were asking for too much money.

With no deal taking place, and the continued absence of Mason Greenwood from the team following his arrest, Lingard may get more opportunities in the second half of the season to play.

That won't however be this weekend, with the interim boss saying that Lingard had 'asked me and the club if we could give him a couple of days off just to clear up his mind,' but now the former West Ham loanee has denied that in a post on social media.

"The club advised me to have time off due to personal reasons," he said on Twitter.

"But my headspace is clear and I’ll always be professional when called upon and give 100 percent."

It is not the first time that Rangnick's side of the story has run in contradiction with what a player has then claimed is how the situation took place.

Following United's 2-2 draw in the Premier League with Aston Villa, at the beginning of January, the interim boss claimed that Anthony Martial had asked to not be part of the squad.

The Frenchman hadn't even been on the bench but denied that the reason was because of a request. “I will never refuse to play a match for Man Utd,” he wrote in a message posted on Instagram Stories.

“I've been here for seven years and I never disrespected and will never disrespect the club and the fans.”

Martial did play a part again for United two games later, as he came on as a late substitute in the win over West Ham, and was part of the move that led to Marcus Rashford's winner.

He then went out on loan to Sevilla in the transfer window, with Donny van de Beek also being allowed to leave temporarily, to Everton.

Lingard though was made to stay put until the end of the season, he will get back into the squad at some point, it won't be Friday however, whether that was his choice or not.