Manchester United interim coach Ralf Rangnick: I will speak to players if I think they are not professional

Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has responded to reports of player unrest by saying he will speak to anyone he doesn’t think is professional.

In a press conference ahead of United’s game against Aston Villa, the German hinted that some players were not obliged.

“We have players whose contracts run out in the summer,” he began.

“We also have one or two other people who want to leave and are under contract. It’s about the players dealing with it professionally, showing up in training, showing up, getting a chance to play. If this is not the case, the player, club and agent must discuss the situation. I can’t tell anyone else. I’ll address that directly to the players.

“I can only tell you about the squad. Of course I don’t know the atmosphere at the club, the players, the dressing rooms, the coaching team, everyone was very disappointed after the game, the performance.”

Rangnick said he regularly explains to players on the sidelines why they aren’t playing.

“It’s not just a problem with a club like Manchester United,” he said.

“When you have that many players and only 10 [outfield] Players can play and three [are] are replaced, then of course you have quite a few players, in our case 12, 13, 14 players who are not playing or are not in the squad at all.

“These players are dissatisfied with the situation, that is clear. I tend to explain to the players why they are not playing every two or three weeks and that is an issue in our team and other clubs.”