Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly axed Phil Jones and four other players from the club's first-team dressing room in order to accommodate new signings.
Although United endured a slow start to the transfer window, Dutchman Ten Hag was backed with significant funds in a bid to overhaul a squad that slumped to United's worst-ever finish in the Premier League last term.
Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Antony and Martin Dubravka have all arrived at Old Trafford over the summer for a combined sum of around £220million - the largest amount Manchester United have ever spent in a single transfer window.
The influx of new arrivals has left United's first-team dressing room at their Carrington base at breaking point. And according to The Sun, the AON Training Centre's first-team changing room is only able to accommodate a maximum of 24 players... meaning the club have been forced to a shunt a number of fringe players into the U23's changing area.
Jones is the biggest name to have been culled by Ten Hag in order to make room for the club's new recruits, the England international still at Old Trafford despite seeing his career wrecked by injury.
Brandon Williams, who spent last year on loan at Norwich City, has also been sacrificed. Defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Tegen Mendi are two other players to have been moved along with young midfielder Shola Shoretire.
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Ten Hag's decision is the latest blow for Jones, who was expected to leave this summer. Williams and Tuanzebe were also available for transfer in the window, however, Ten Hag was reluctant to lose the trio in the wake of injuries, which scuppered their chances of securing moves.
Jones has only made a handful of senior appearances after being plagued by injuries over the past four years. His last match for United was in the 1-0 defeat against Wolves back in January - his first appearance in two years.
Williams is unlikely to be handed a reprieve anytime soon following the positive impression that Malacia has made to life at Old Trafford, while Tuanzebe and Jones have dropped even further down the pecking order after the arrival of Martinez, who has struck up an instant understanding with Raphael Varane.
Malacia and Martinez have already taken the places of Luke Shaw and Haryr Maguire in Ten Hag's first-choice XI and both are set to start against Arsenal on Sunday, with Eriksen expected to continue in midfield. Big money Brazilian duo Casemiro and Antony are both yet to make their first starts for the club, with the £85million Ajax star having only joined this week.
