Anthony Elanga has acknowledged that he has been left 'frustrated' with his lack of game time at Manchester United.
When Erik ten Hag began his first season at Old Trafford in August, Elanga emerged as a regular during the opening matches in the Premier League.
The Sweden international supplied an assist during the 2-1 victory over Liverpool, as well as starting wins over Southampton and Leicester City.
However, from September onwards, the playmaker has found himself spending the majority of his time on the substitutes' bench, only being handed starts in cup competitions.
In total, the 20-year-old has been provided with just seven starts and 17 substitute outings in all competitions, witnessing the likes of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho move ahead of him in the pecking order.
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According to reports, Elanga had the opportunity to go out on loan in January, only for Ten Hag to prefer to retain him as an option in his squad.
Since the turn of the year, though, Elanga has featured for just 172 minutes, seemingly leaving him out of favour ahead of the run-in.
Nevertheless, despite acknowledging his frustration, Elanga has insisted that he will continue to work as hard as possible in order to earn a reprieve under Ten Hag.
Speaking to Aftonbladet, Elanga said: "It is frustrating. You want to play, it's important. But whether you play or not, it's up to the coach not me.
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"I have spoken to Erik and it is private between the two of us. I know what he wants me to do and I just keep training hard. When the opportunity comes, I just have to be ready to take it.
"We have a lot of conversations, not only about [the lack of game time] but also what is happening around. That's the good thing about the club, we talk a lot and they help me a lot."
Elanga, who still has over three years remaining on his contract, has been heavily linked with a number of clubs, including the likes of Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
Although Elanga is currently part of the Sweden squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers, he was not used during the 3-0 defeat versus Belgium on Friday.
Darren Plant
