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

#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.