Sporting Lisbon have disciplined their defender Marcos Rojo amid reports that he is attempting to force through a move to Manchester United.
United are understood to have made a bid of around £16m for the 24-year-old Argentina international, reportedly prompting Rojo to submit a transfer request and refuse to train.
Sporting’s president, Bruno de Carvalho, has been quoted as saying that both Rojo and his team-mate Islam Slimani, who has been linked with clubs including Newcastle, Leicester City, West Ham and Crystal Palace, are both “subject to strong disciplinary measures” and will not play in the club’s league opener against Academica on Saturday.
De Carvalho, quoted by the Portuguese newspaper Record from an interview with Sporting TV, said: “They will not play next weekend. This will take as long as it takes. If something doesn’t change, you’re going to end up with the players seeing out their contracts.
“They can watch the game on television. On Saturday, against Academica, we will play to win and we will win. There is no player bigger than the club. I would not give up the honour, the club’s history, for the attitudes of anyone.
“I give a piece of advice: don’t use the press, be professional. These two, in defence of our magnificent group, must be removed. They are subject to strong disciplinary measures. Both players have taken decisions that have caused sharp indiscipline at Sporting.
“A message: any player who does not follow the rules of the club can have illusions and pretensions, but with the way these two did things, the situation is just complicated.”