Henrikh Mkhitaryan is struggling to get in Manchester United’s squad (Getty)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be cast aside by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho to make room for Mesut Ozil, according to reports.

The Red Devils boss knows he must trim his squad if he is to sign Ozil due to the World Cup winner’s exorbitant wage demands.

The playmaker, whose Arsenal contract expires at the end of the season, has been asking for £300,000-a-week to agree a new deal at the Emirates.

Mesut Ozil is out of contract in the summer (Getty)

The Mirror report that Mourinho has decided Mkhitaryan, who joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, can be the player to leave.

It’s a logical choice based on the player’s current status in the Manchester United squad.

The Armenian has been omitted from seven of the last eight matchday squads with Mourinho saying last night he didn’t believe the winger deserved a place on the bench.

Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford during the win over Bournemouth (Getty)

‘I can only have six players on the bench and I try to have some balance on the bench,’ said the Portuguese coach after leaving Mkhitaryan out for the 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

‘I had two defenders that can play in different areas, I have Ashley Young to cover the wing and wing backs position, [Ander] Herrera is a midfield player, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] is a striker, [Marcus] Rashford is a second striker and a winger.

‘To have Mkhitaryan means I don’t have one of them and I believe the others deserve.’

Mkhitaryan’s last start was the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at the start of November with his only other appearance since then off the bench against Brighton at the end of November.

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