Jose Mourinho has blames “somebody” else for “confusing” Wayne Rooney at Manchester United.
The club captain has struggled so far this season, and has lost his starting place in the first team for the past three matches.
He has come under scrutiny for both club and country, and his playing position remains a mystery.
Mourinho insisted in the summer that he would not play in midfield for United, but he did so in the Premier League against Watford.
He has also featured for England in a more reserved role, but Mourinho insists that “somebody” else is to blame for the “confusion”.
“If somebody confused him, it was not me,” he said.
“He can play everywhere. That’s no problem.
“I think what you could hurt you did already,” he added, referring to the press. “I don’t think you can do more than what you did.
“So I think in this moment it is time for him to recover from what was done to him and the best place for him to do that is feeling like he feels at home here.
“I’m not saying that [he] is low – it’s: ‘OK, you can hurt me but you can’t put me down.’ I think he’s the same.
“At Man United he didn’t lose [his] place. Not at all, for me, he’s first-choice.”
When informed that Rooney has not started any of the last three games, Mourinho replied: “That’s my job. That’s a choice. I have 24 players.”