5 first-team players that could leave Manchester United in January

After a disappointing loss at the hands of rivals, Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, Manchester United now finds themselves eleven points adrift of their noisy neighbours who are sitting atop the Premier League standings.

The Citizens recently demolished Swansea 4-0 and have now won a record 15 straight Premier League games. Pep Guardiola has got his City side playing like champions already, and with the form they are in, it is difficult to see which team could stop their run and makeup ground on them in the league.

Despite a relatively superb start of 38 points from their first 17 games, United still find themselves well behind their cross-town rivals. While manager Jose Mourinho usually prefers not to operate in the January window, he may need some recruitments if the Red Devils are to mount a realistic title challenge.

This would also mean that certain players would have to leave the club to balance the books and also to free up space in the 25-man squads of the Premier League.

We take a look at five such players who may not be wearing the Red of United come February 2018:

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#5 Matteo Darmian

Matteo Darmian has done nothing noteworthy to warrant a first-team role at the club

Signed by then Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal for £12.7 million from Torino, it seemed that the club had acquired a versatile full-back that could be a part of the first team for the foreseeable future.

However, just two and a half seasons at the club and Darmian is already one of the favourites to walk out of the door in the next transfer window.

On joining the club, Darmian was immediately handed a first-team berth and performed exceptionally well in the first couple of months of the 2015/16 season. However, once injuries kicked in, the Italian never managed to perform to his potential and has merely served as a fringe player ever since.

This season, Mourinho has handed the former Torino man only two Premier League starts and a couple of cameos off the bench. The likes of Ashley Young and Daley Blind have been ahead of Darmian in the pecking order for the left-back role, while Antonio Valencia's performances on the other side of the defence have kept all positional competitors at bay.

Darmian's contract runs out at the end of next season, so United could look to command a decent fee for the 28-year-old. There has been some interest from Italy, and the full-back should be more than happy to return to his home country and bring his career back on the right track.

#4 Daley Blind

Due to the lack of Premier League minutes, Blind could look for an exit in January

While Daley Blind has started in all of United's Champions League games this term, it is hard to believe that he is satisfied with his playing time in the Premier League.

Mourinho has always loved an attacking full-back who also performs his defensive duties to utmost perfection. Unfortunately, Blind hasn't been one of those players for the Portuguese.

Mourinho wouldn't want to part ways with the Dutchman, but with only four Premier League appearances this season despite the number of defensive casualties, Blind could be contemplating an exit from the club in January.

The 27-year-old is no longer the full-back that took the world by storm with his scintillating performances for the Netherlands at the last World Cup. He seems to have slowed down considerably and is not as effective in varied positions as he was before moving to United.

His work-rate and positional awareness have been questioned time and again, and while he seems to be an assured figure on the ball, there are a number of glaring flaws in his game.

Blind's contract runs out at the end of the season, and it will be interesting to see how United deal with the situation should he ask for an exit next month despite the club having an option to extend his contract by a year.

#3 Marouane Fellaini

With his contract negotiations still to commence, Fellaini is tipped for a January exit

The Belgian midfielder continues to remain a divisive figure among the Manchester United faithful and football fans alike. In the span of a few games, we are shown two contrasting facets to his game.

Fellaini can go on a run of two to three matches showing everyone why he is tailor-made for Mourinho's system at the club, and then in the following game could prove why he is such a maligned figured in the Premier League.

His lack of consistency makes his future at Old Trafford questionable. While he has been Mourinho's and even his predecessor van Gaal's go-to option when the team opts to go route one (long ball from the defence), his passing ability, the timing of challenges and overall link-up play are often not good enough.

He does have the capability to turn things in the favour of his side like he did against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, but such performances from him are far and few in between.

While Fellaini can still be used as a utility player at the club, at 30 years of age, the Belgian isn't an option for the future.

With his contract running out in the summer, it would make sense for United to cash in on him and invest the funds in a defensive midfielder that could be at the club for a number of years.

#2 Luke Shaw

Does Luke Shaw have Mourinho's vote of confidence?

The England international may have seen his involvement in the first team increase in the past few weeks, but that by no means guarantees that he will stay at the club. Mourinho has been openly critical of the player in the past and he may be one more error away from being shown the door at Old Trafford.

There's no doubt that Shaw has immense potential in him, but whether or not he will ever achieve the levels expected of him is still in question. Injuries have halted the progress of the left-back, and he may still not be ready to play ninety minutes in consecutive games.

With Ashley Young being used as a left-back this season, it is obvious that United's options in that department are bang average. They could look for an instant replacement in January or could wait until the summer and spend top dollar on one of the continent's finest.

Should they choose to operate in January and offload Shaw, Tottenham Hotspur could seem like a viable destination for him. Danny Rose appears to be discontented at the club and there are murmurs about for a swap deal between the two English left-backs. This could be a good deal for both parties, and would also see Shaw reunite with former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

#1 Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Due to his lack of physicality, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been overpowered by opposing defenders time and again

The Armenian attacking midfielder has been the Mourinho scapegoat this season. It all started well for Mkhitaryan as he topped the assists charts after the first few weeks and it looked like he was in for a phenomenal season for the Red Devils. However, once his form wilted away, the Armenian has become a liability in the Manchester United setup.

Despite being fully fit, Mkhitaryan's last Premier League start came over a month ago when he endured a horrendous 62 minutes against defending champions Chelsea before eventually being substituted. Since then, Mourinho hasn't held back while criticising the player, and the sudden upturn in Jesse Lingard's performances has seen Mkhitaryan miss out on the past few matchday squads.

Signed only last summer, it is unlikely that the club would sell the player in January, but could certainly look to loan him out. The 28-year-old needs to be playing every week to regain his confidence before he can challenge for a first-team role next season.

Also, if Arsenal attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil is to arrive in January, Mkhitaryan will slip further down the pecking order. Thus, for the best interests of the player, it could be wise to loan him out in January.