Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has dismissed criticism that it was “classless” to deny Jesse Lingard an Old Trafford send-off earlier this week.
Ralf Rangnick said: “To start with, in the last couple of weeks under my tenure he has played far more games than he used to. Secondly, on game day against Chelsea (on April 28) he asked me to release him from the game and training the following day for personal family reasons. And this was the reason. With only three substitutes I had to take a decision between Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard, or the young (Alejandro Garnacho), who I would have loved to have brought on and given a chance to play. I took the decision to bring on Edinson. Had I not brought on Edinson someone else might have asked if it’s classless not to bring on Cavani or Garnacho. You have to take a decision and this will not be to the liking of everybody – and this is part of the game.”