Henrikh Mkhitaryan started the season in rather incredible form.

He equalled a Premier League record by registering five assists in the first three Premier League matches of the season as the Armenian looked as though he could have a big role to play in Jose Mourinho’s side.

However, after recent poor form, the former Borussia Dortmund player was left out of the squad altogether for the home match against Newcastle on Saturday.

And he certainly wasn’t missed.

The Red Devils ran out comfortable 4-1 winners with both Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning from injury.

So, is there a way back for the midfielder?

Well, according to The Sun, maybe not.

They have produced a report suggesting Mkhitaryan is ‘fighting for his Manchester United career’ after just 16 months at the club.

They state that Mourinho and his backroom staff have “major reservations” over the 28-year-old due to his fitness levels.

Mourinho claimed that he was left out of the Newcastle game due to “tactical reasons” but it seems there is a more serious underlying problem with him.

Why Mourinho and his staff are concerned

An Old Trafford source told The Sun: “There are still problems with Mkhitaryan. He is battling to save his career here.

“There are huge reservations over him from Jose and his backroom team. He has shown an alarming sign of fatigue in recent weeks.

“He could even be handed a rest after the international break after going away with Armenia. It's going to be a busy festive period.

“Henrikh did work hard to get into shape after the concerns last year but they seem to be coming back in a way. It's a huge issue.”

Of course, this isn’t the first time Mourinho has left Mkhitaryan out of the squad. At the start of last season, he was often overlooked as he struggled to adjust to Premier League football.

When it did eventually get given a consistent run in the starting line-up, he impressed and it looked as though he had continued that form into this campaign.

But it’s back to square one for the £27 million signing and his future at the club now appears in severe doubt.