Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling training alone a Man United formality - SSN's James Cooper
By James Dale
Last Updated: 08/11/16 3:43pm
Injured Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling training alone was Manchester United policy, says Sky Sports News HQ reporter James Cooper.
The pair were reported to be facing a similar fate to Bastian Schweinsteiger in being frozen out of the first team after heading to United's Carrington training ground while the senior squad were given time off following the 3-1 victory over Swansea on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho appeared to publicly question certain players' character following the game, drawing distinctions between those willing to play through injury and "the ones that a little pain can make a difference".
While United's first-team players not involved in this week's international break were given Monday and Tuesday off, Shaw and Smalling - who both missed the Swansea game - underwent individual training at the club.
But reporter Cooper insists this is standard procedure at United.
He said: "Manchester United, much like many other clubs, demand that their injured players come in whatever the schedule is and of course Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling are injured players," Cooper told Sky Sports News HQ.
"They've come in on Monday and Tuesday this week whereas the rest of the first-team squad involved in the victory over Swansea at the weekend were given those days off. The squad then return to Carrington tomorrow.
"If fit, they'll [Shaw and Smalling] resume training with the first-team squad. If not, they'll carry on working with medics, trainers and coaches on their fitness to get back into Jose Mourinho's plans.
"This isn't a Bastian Schweinsteiger situation where someone's been thrown to the other end of the training complex and told to train alone and away from the first-team squad, this is merely a formality with Premier League players.
"If you're injured, you don't get a day off, you work and work and work until you're fit again."
Despite the explanation for training alone, Cooper believes Mourinho's apparent public criticism of two popular players has not gone down well within the club.