Henrikh Mkhitaryan was given a rare runout in the first team by Jose Mourinho during the recent 2-1 loss against Fenerbahce in the Europa League. It was a rare first-team appearance for the Armenian international, who was last seen playing the first 45 minutes against Manchester City in the league match at Old Trafford back in September. Mkhitaryan was signed from Borussia Dortmund this summer, but he has rarely featured for United in the first few months.

Surprisingly, he has made it to the Goal.com list of top 50 football players in 2016. Mkhitaryan has been placed in the 36^th position in between Mesut Ozil in the 37^th and Harry Kane in the 35^th places. On the face of it, it may seem like a daft decision, but goal.com recalls that Mkhitaryan was one of the best players last season.

The 27-year-old came up with an astonishing 11 goals and 15 assists in just 31 league matches for Borussia Dortmund last season. It was the kind of form that made the £30 million transfer fee look rather small – especially in comparison with Paul Pogba’s £89 million move. Mkhitaryan has all the capabilities to succeed in the Premier League just like Sadio Mane. He was expected to take time to settle in the league, but Mourinho’s insistence of not giving the player first-team opportunities may not actually allow him to settle.

Goal.com claims that the list has been compiled after judging a player on several aspects like consistency, performances in the big games, legacy, and the success of their team.

His appearance against Fenerbahce came after an extended absence from the first team. It finally seemed like Mkhitaryan was making an impression in the squad. Those hopes were dashed during the weekend after the 27-year-old was completely left out of the 18-man squad for the game against Swansea.

Pundits have been questioning the need to sign a player for a considerable transfer fee and yet not even give him an opportunity to prove himself. Mourinho, though, is unlikely to answer to those questions, as he remains insistent on getting results at Old Trafford. The pressure on the manager was lifted slightly after the win over Swansea. However, Mourinho will be aware that sterner tests await the team in the coming weeks ahead of the Christmas fixture schedule.

United take on Arsenal immediately after the end of the international break.