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Publication date: Friday, September 18, 2020 10:56 AM
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed his fury at England’s decision to summon Mason Greenwood and put the young man in front of the media.
Gareth Southgate gave the 18-year-old his first England call-up last month for the Nations League matches with Iceland and Denmark.
The England manager immediately put the United man in front of the international press.
Southgate gave Greenwood his first international game against Iceland with the United striker in a second half substitution in a 1-0 victory.
However, Greenwood later broke the strict Three Lions biobubble in Iceland and was sent home.
And the United manager has questioned Southgate’s decision to call him up.
“Yes, of course I speak to Mason and I have spoken to Mason,” Solskjaer said. “Of course what we talk about and discuss will be between the two of us.
“The boy had a fantastic season. He just passed.
“I’ve worked and the club has worked and all the staff here worked very hard for… when we gave Mason enough time on the field, when we gave him visibility in the media. Then you come to the end of the season and we’ve had less than two weeks off and he’s called up to the national team.
“I have to be honest enough to say that I did everything I could to give him a break for the summer. That the club asked him specifically and he pointed out that he should have had a break.
“He needs it mentally and physically after that season he had. The first thing that happens is that 1) he’s called up and 2) he’s there in the press.
“We have done everything possible to protect him and I will continue to help him. I know that when he returns to the daily routine of the club and what we do to him, it will be fine. “
When asked if Greenwood is available for the first game of the season on Saturday against Crystal Palace, Solskjaer said: “Yes, he is part of the group.
“With the Covid tests and protocols, he trained alone for a while. We did some tests and he was with us as soon as possible. It is a big part of this group.
“This is where it feels like home. He is not comfortable, we challenge him, we have people who take care of him.
“We have had a plan with him throughout the season and I think it worked very well. But he needed to rest. I look at the interview he did for the FA, the first game for the national team, he’s talking about maybe looking back at this season when it’s over, and that’s actually the first day of his new season.
“So we have to understand that he is an 18-year-old who needs to be cared for.”
Last maguire
Greenwood’s indiscretion came towards the end of an international rift that began with Harry maguire being he left the England team a few hours after being selected.
The defender received a 21-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer, swearing, resisting arrest and bribery during an incident in Mykonos, but he denies the crimes and has appealed to the Greek courts.
“The process will continue,” Solskjaer said. “Knowing Harry, he’s a very strong character, so I hope he can put that aside.
“But naturally, as a human being it will be in the back of his mind what happened this summer, and other than that, you just have to watch how it unfolds with Harry.
“Personally, I think he will be able to focus on his football, but who am I to… you cannot predict how people will react.
“But so far he has trained well, he has been focused, so I hope that process continues and, of course, we know that it is something that will continue in the legal department there.”
Meanwhile, Solskjaer confirmed that Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw are back in contention to perform this weekend against Crystal Palace.
The United manager also declined to reveal who would be in goal against Palace.
“I can’t, I’m not going to tell you about the team today, but the training, the goalkeeping training has been fantastic to watch, so enjoyable, with the best possible quality you can imagine,” Solskjaer said.
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