Why £34m-rated Sunderland loan target was dropped from squad amid transfer rumours

Sunderland loan target Amad Diallo was left out of Erik ten Hag's squad as Manchester United defeated Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Monday evening.

United won the fixture 2-0 without Amad after Diogo Dalot fired the 12-time winners into a 22nd-minute lead with a fine curling strike before Bruno Fernandes won and converted a penalty in the second half for United's second goal.

Amad, 21, impressed on loan at Sunderland last season, scoring 14 Championship goals, while the Black Cats were one of several clubs keeping an eye on the player's situation over the summer. That was before Amad sustained a lengthy knee injury in pre-season, which caused him to miss the first half of the campaign.

Amad, who joined Manchester United for a package worth around £34million, made his return to ten Hag's squad to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League earlier this month and was named on the bench. The attacking midfielder was brought on as a second-half substitute but could do nothing to prevent his side from slipping to a 2-1 loss.

Amad's name has also been mentioned with a move to Birmingham City, who have just appointed former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray, and league-leaders Leicester City during the winter transfer window.

Eyebrows were raised, however, when Amad did not feature at all against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup with many commenting that it would have been the perfect game for him to start. It has been confirmed, though, that the player missed the clash through illness and not any transfer-related activity.