Manchester United's young winger Alejandro Garnacho was benched for the club's Premier League match against Southampton, but it appears his social media activity wasn’t the reason for his exclusion. Reports earlier in the week suggested Garnacho could face punishment after liking a post by Fabrizio Romano, which detailed Cristiano Ronaldo's criticism of United manager Erik ten Hag. However, sources have clarified that Garnacho's absence from the starting lineup was a tactical decision by Ten Hag, not related to the social media incident.
The 20-year-old Argentine had started his first game of the season in the 3-0 loss to Liverpool before the international break and seemed poised to retain his spot in the lineup. However, Ten Hag opted to make changes, with Amad Diallo taking Garnacho’s place on the right wing and Christian Eriksen replacing Casemiro in midfield.
Despite speculation that Garnacho’s benching was due to his online activity, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Ten Hag’s decision was purely tactical. Garnacho, a known admirer of Ronaldo, has made headlines before for his preference of the Portuguese star over his compatriot Lionel Messi.
With Amad impressing in his recent appearances, many United fans had called for him to return to the starting XI. Garnacho’s next opportunity to prove himself may come as United look to bounce back after a shaky start to the season.
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