Forgotten player Phil Jones stood alongside Roy Keane, Gary Neville and David Ginola at Wembley before the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle last month, but he was wearing a navy suit on the touchline, not a Manchester United training kit.
Jones was at Wembley as a pundit for Sky Sports, not a player. His name no longer appears on the back of the matchday programme for Old Trafford games and he'll be permanently removed from the squad list on the club website in a few months.
United excluded Jones, who has started just two games in the last three years, from their Premier League and Europa League squads that were submitted in September and his time in Manchester is finally drawing to a conclusion.
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Rather incredibly, Erik ten Hag confirmed in early February that Jones hadn't taken part in a single training session since the campaign had begun and he's now a certainty to be released on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.
Although supporters have sympathised with Jones' struggle with injury, which he candidly discussed last year, there is a unanimous agreement he's overstayed his welcome at United and that his impending exit should have come sooner.
Jones won't be the only defender to leave United this summer. Axel Tuanzebe is another whose career has been marred by injury concerns and he's expected to follow him through the exit door upon the expiry of his deal.
Tuanzebe, 25, will be remembered for his flawless performance against Paris Saint-Germain, in which he kept Kylian Mbappe quiet, in the Champions League in October 2020, but he failed to build on that memorable night in France.
With Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly unavailable for that game, Tuanzebe was thrown into the starting up after returning from 10 months on the sidelines with injury and yet he made extraordinary talent Mbappe look completely ordinary.
Sadly, he could not reproduce that form when given the chance to start again and loans to Aston Villa and Napoli followed, but his time in Naples last season, where he was left of their Europa League squad, was a particular disaster.
Tuanzebe returned to United and travelled on the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, however, he was quickly injured again and only returned to first-team training in mid-January after another lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury.
Tuanzebe joined Stoke on loan for the remainder of the season on January deadline day and it's almost certain he's played his last game for United, as it would be a shock to see his one-year extension on his contract triggered.
The die has been cast on Jones and Tunazebe, but the futures of fellow defenders Alex Telles, Brandon Williams and Bailly remain undecided, although it's possible all three players could leave in an overdue summer defensive rehaul.
Telles, 30, is a left-back who can't defend and Tyrelll Malacia was signed to deputise for Luke Shaw. Telles was sent on loan to Sevilla for the season and he's contracted at United until 2024, which means a sale this summer is necessary to recoup a fee.
United spent a fee of €15million on Telles and they will do well to get half of that investment back. The Brazilian has made 50 appearances for the club and has always given the impression he's a level below what is required.
The same can be said about Williams, who is at a crossroads in his career. The 22-year-old seemed to mature on loan at Norwich last season, but he's regressed and Ten Hag has included him in just five matchdays squads this term.
It's easy to forget Williams was given a cameo in the final minutes in the Reds' 2-0 victory against Burnley in the League Cup in December and he's actually made four starts for the Under-21s since, three of which he's worn the armband in.
Williams should not be playing academy football at this stage of his career and he was awful against Manchester City's U21s in a 6-0 defeat earlier this month, which wouldn't have encouraged any potential suitors for a summer move.
The full-back is contracted at the club until June 2024, with the option to extend for a further year, but it seems best for both parties that he finds a permeant new home and, like with Telles, it would be necessary to recoup a fee for him.
Bailly, who has the same contract situation as Telles and Williams, could be the fifth defensive departure. The 28-year-old was sent to Marseille on loan this season and he made headlines in January for receiving a seven-game ban for a high challenge.
The centre-back is naturally clumsy and will never change, which is why he must be another to leave United.
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