Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick explained Jesse Lingard was not allowed to leave in January partly due to Mason Greenwood's unavailability.
Greenwood was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of rape and assault following allegations made on social media.
He was then further arrested two days later on suspicion of sexual assault and threats to kill. Greenwood, who has not publicly commented on the allegations, was released on bail "pending further investigation" on Wednesday.
United confirmed on Sunday that the 20-year-old will not train or play for the club "until further notice", with their statement stating they do "not condone violence of any kind".
Lingard had been hoping to leave Old Trafford in search of regular first-team football, having only made two starts and 12 substitute appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils this season.
Newcastle United and West Ham – where he enjoyed a successful loan spell last season – were both reportedly interested, however United refused to sanction a move, with Rangnick outlining their reasons ahead of Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie with Middlesbrough.
"Three weeks ago, Jesse didn't want to leave, then he changed his mind," Rangnick told reporters. "I had a chat with him 10 days ago and could fully understand why he wanted to leave for game time, for his future and also for the World Cup.
"I said in case he found a club he wanted to play for and also found a solution with our club, I would allow him to leave. But obviously with all the developments in the last [few] days, things changed a little, and we also had no agreement with any other club.
"So at one stage we had to take a final decision with the board, and we decided to keep Jesse until the end of the season."
When pressed further as to whether Greenwood's arrest had been a factor, Rangnick added: "In a way, yes, but in the end the board told me they couldn't find an agreement with those clubs interested in him, so with the window closing on Monday evening, in the afternoon the board said they would rather he stayed.
"For me it was a decision I could fully understand and accept. It was two things, we had the problem with Mason Greenwood, being without a player for the time being who has played regularly, and then on the other hand the club couldn't find an agreement with any other club."
The German coach also confirmed Lingard had requested a couple of days to "clear up his mind", with the 29-year-old set to miss the Middlesbrough match.
Despite the situation surrounding Greenwood, Rangnick felt United were able to have a "normal" week of training.
"We had a good and normal week of training, five sessions including today," he said. "Obviously I suppose [Greenwood] was a topic within the team, but they are all human beings and Mason was part of the group before our break.
"It was a good week of training, we could train in normal circumstances and we are looking forward to the game."
'Cristiano is perfect' - Martinez plays down early Ronaldo substitution
Roberto Martinez took Cristiano Ronaldo off just after the hour mark against Poland but assured he was only managing the 39-year-old's minutes.
Ronaldo was on target for Portugal in their 3-1 win over Poland, doubling their tally after Bernardo Silva's opener.
Piotr Zielinski provided the Selecao with a late scare, but Jan Bednarek's own goal ensured Portugal kept their 100% record, and they are the only team to win all three games so far in League A.
The Portugal captain was replaced by Diogo Jota, who had a hand in their third goal, in the 63rd minute, having had three shots and accumulating 1.43 expected goals (xG).
And Martinez insisted Ronaldo would have a part to play against Scotland as he praised the team's resilience to get the win over the line.
"It's part of managing players when you have two games in 72 hours. Diogo Jota came on very well. Cristiano is perfect," Martinez said.
"The first half was very good. We controlled the game, created opportunities, had very good synchronisation as a team, defended Poland's strengths very well and scored great goals.
"I'm happy with the new players who came in, it seems they have several international caps.
"Conceding a goal was a difficult moment, and it was great to see the reaction and score another goal. Overall, a very good performance.
"The challenge is two away games. 72 hours, recovering well. The players showed all their commitment during training and work at the Football City."
Martinez was also impressed by debutant Renato Veiga, who started alongside Ruben Dias at centre-back.
The Chelsea defender made seven clearances, the most of any player on the team, and helped limit Robert Lewandowski to just two shots, neither of which were on target.
"He has a very special profile. In his first training session, he showed that he gained maturity during the September training camp," Martinez added.
"He is an aggressive player, with great communication skills, who can defend large spaces, play in the air, against a Poland side that is very strong in set pieces.
"It was a fantastic debut. With a striker like Lewandowski, I think it is a debut that shows Renato's potential and how he is working at the moment."
Carsley did not apply for full-time England job, wants 'no regrets'
Lee Carsley revealed he did not formally apply to become the next England manager and wants "no regrets" over his time as interim boss.
Gareth Southgate left his position as England manager following their Euro 2024 final defeat in July, with the Football Association (FA) turning to Carsley for the Nations League fixtures.
He has won two of his three games so far, following up back-to-back wins over the Republic of Ireland and Finland with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday.
With the return trip against Finland in Helsinki next up for the Three Lions, Carsley admitted prior to the game that he did not apply for the job during the application process earlier this year.
"No, I didn't apply for it," he told talkSPORT. "Because hopefully… I have been doing the U21s, and I am really happy with my job.
"I am an employee of the FA, and I was asked to take the senior team, which is a privilege. It was the proudest moment of my career.
"I am in a really fortunate position in that I am on the inside and I can see how much potential this team's got. It is one of the best jobs in world football.
"There aren’t many jobs where you’ve got a chance of winning. I believe the coach that comes in has got a really good chance of winning, and we deserve the best one that's out there."
Carsley was aiming to become the first England manager to win his first three competitive matches in charge since Fabio Capello in 2008, before Greece claimed their first-ever win over the Three Lions.
The 50-year-old selected an experimental line-up against Greece, fielding five attacking players, but no recognised striker, leaving the side unbalanced,
Harry Kane missed that game with a knock but is expected to return for the trip to Helsinki, having scored twice when they met them in September.
There was widespread criticism of the team after the full-time whistle, but Carsley says he did not want to play it safe during his time as interim boss.
"I think the reaction [to the loss against Greece] is fair enough. You have to respect people's opinions. We didn't perform as well as we can on the night, and I would expect a reaction [against Finland]," Carsley said in his press conference.
"I think it's something that I'll look back on in maybe two or three months and, you know, be better for it.
"I wanted to give this job my best shot for the three camps that we spoke about. I didn't want to have any regrets.
"It's important we do try something different at times. I think I'll be a better coach for that."
Salah, Van Dijk released early in boost for Liverpool ahead of Chelsea clash
Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool earlier than expected, along with Virgil van Dijk, after he was released from international duty by Egypt on Saturday.
The 32-year-old was on the scoresheet as Egypt defeated Mauritania 2-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday, and was also expected to feature in the return fixture on Tuesday.
However, in a boost for the Reds, who face fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League on October 20, Salah will head back to Merseyside having played just once for his country.
"The technical staff of Egypt's senior football team led by manager Hossam Hassan held a meeting with Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Pharaohs," the Egyptian FA said in a statement.
"It was agreed during the meeting to rest the player from the upcoming match."
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