Jose Mourinho told he must DROP one star against West Ham

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho must drop Alexis Sanchez - but not for too long.

That is the verdict of Sky Sports pundit and former England striker Darius Vassell.

Alexis Sanchez has struggled in his early days as a Manchester United player since joining from Arsenal in January.

The Chile international has scored just two goals in 17 Premier League appearances in total for the Red Devils.

Sanchez has looked a shadow of the player who netted 80 times in a three-and-a-half-year spell at Arsenal.

He has started four and come on as a substitute in another one of the six Premier League games so far this season.

Vassell reckons it is time Jose Mourinhotook Sanchez out of the limelight, but admits a player earning as much as him cannot be out of the side for long.

“Should he be playing right now for United given the young talent they have there in the squad that aren’t getting the minutes that they possibly deserve?” Vassell said on Sky Sports News.

“To be honest, as a player you never want that (to be taken out of the limelight).

“You can’t ask for that or expect that I don’t believe.

“I think you want to be playing every single football match.

“But on the other hand, I do think it is the right time to maybe sit him out, for him to go through that as a player, to sit down and watch his team, look at it from a different angle, think about his game, think about his performances and almost be taken out of that pressure situation that he’s obviously in.

“I don’t think they can do that for too long wont him, I think he’s cost way too much money to be sitting on the bench.

Man Utd news: Jose Mourinho has kept faith in Alexis Sanchez up until now (Image: GETTY)

“I think he needs to be playing the standard of football he is capable of and he needs to be playing week in, week out for Manchester United.

“He’s a player capable of being captain for me when he’s on his day.

“But he’s not reached those heights yet and I do think it’s about time (he was dropped).”

United face West Ham in the Premier League next this Saturday (12.30pm).