Some of Manchester United's fringe players felt the wrath of manager Erik ten Hag very early on into his reign as Red Devils boss.
Five of them were even exiled from the club's first-team dressing room at the training ground in the summer to accommodate the host of new signings that had arrived during the off-season. According to reports, the AON Training Centre's first-team changing room is only able to accommodate a maximum of 24 players, which meant a cull was in order.
The unlucky group that were cast aside consisted of club veteran Phil Jones and promising youngsters Shola Shoretire and Tegen Mendi. Others included young left-back Brandon Williams, who once enjoyed semi-regular first-team football under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Axel Tuanzebe.
Fast forward nine months and three of the aforementioned five are expected to leave the club on a permanent basis come the end of the current campaign.
During Ten Hag's first summer transfer window at the helm, all three of Jones, Williams and Tuanzebe were expected to leave but the United boss ended up keeping the trio despite the fact their paths to the first-team were clearly blocked.
That decision looks even more confusing now, given it is that trio that are widely believed to all but on their way out this summer.
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It raised eyebrows when Jones penned a contract extension in 2019 in the first place and since confirmation of that agreement he has made less than seven Premier League appearances in four years.
Now, with that same deal about to expire next month, Jones is almost certainly on his way out of Old Trafford given he is yet to make a single first-team appearance under Ten Hag.
It is a similar story for Williams, who is thought to be attracting a number of suitors keen on prying him away from Old Trafford for good after last season's loan spell at Norwich City.
The left-back has earned just five minutes of football at United this term and with Williams still developing as a player, he can't afford many more seasons watching on from the sidelines.
Tuanzebe has had more joy in a United shirt down the years, but not this season. Not under Ten Hag.
The defender has had to try and make his way out on loan one too many times with little joy in the eyes of those running the show at Old Trafford and is likely to end his 17-year spell on the books at United once and for all this summer following the expiration of his contract.
