Manchester United chief Jose Mourinho has revealed why Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan was let go in January.

One of his biggest decisions since joining the Red Devils have surrounded the swap deal which saw the Armenian head to Arsenal.

But the 55-year-old has revealed the situation has caused him a headache.

Speaking to Gary Lineker on the Premier League Show, Mourinho admitted Mkhitaryan was struggling to deal with the pace at Man Utd, The Daily Star says.

When asked if it is hard to keep players in the side when they are not starting, he said: “It is not hard, it is impossible.

“It depends on the nature of the player.

“The way Myhki dealt with it, is different to other players.

“He realised he was not ready for this reality – physical, mental, competitiveness.

“Also his body, to adapt to that intensity with little time to recover from match to match, is hard.”