Marouane Fellaini is not the most beloved player by fans at Manchester United, but he certainly has the backing of his manager Jose Mourinho.

The admiration between the pair was evident on Tuesday night when they embraced on the touchline after Fellaini scored the second goal in United’s 2-0 victory over Hull City in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final at Old Trafford.

The midfielder has been the subject of boos of late after he gave away a penalty in the dying minutes of the team’s match against Everton, which ended in a 1-1 draw as a result.

Fellaini has never quite had all of the United fans on side since his £27.5m switch from Everton in 2013, but he seems to be a favourite among managers.

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David Moyes took the midfielder with him to Old Trafford, but less than 10 months later, the Scotsman was shown the door.

Fellaini kept his place in the squad under Moyes’s replacement Louis van Gaal, and now it seems that Mourinho has a plan for him, even if six of his 15 appearances in the Premier League this season have come off the bench.

With the news, as reported by the Daily Mail that Morgan Schneiderlin is closing in on a switch to Everton, some United fans have criticised the club for not offloading Fellaini instead, while others are ready to give him a chance.

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