ROMELU LUKAKU missed out on being named man of the match in one of Manchester United’s US tour matches because he is a Muslim.
Lukaku was one of the leading candidates to be voted player of the match as United beat rivals Manchester City last week.
But the £75million signing from Everton was not considered because it would have been impossible for him to accept the award on religious grounds.
As a follower of Islam, Lukaku is unable to pose for pictures with any alcoholic drinks.
And the the main match sponsor who decided on the player of the match in that International Champions Cup tie in Houston was Dutch brewery Heineken.
So, despite Lukaku scoring once and producing an excellent display in the 2-0 win over City, organisers were unable to consider him for recognition.
Instead, Heineken officials had to choose between other goalscorer Marcus Rashford, or midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
They were then forced to overlook Rashford as well because he is under 21 – the legal age for drinking in Texas – meaning Mkhitaryan got the nod instead.
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Before the ICC series started, organisers asked all competing clubs to send them a list of Muslim players and those under 21 who would not be allowed to pose with alcoholic drinks.
Lukaku has made a good impression since joining up with his new United team-mates in America, scoring against City.
But boss Jose Mourinho is still looking for the club to bring in a couple more new signings before he feels his squad will be strong enough to challenge next season.
Mourinho is targeting a defensive midfield player, with Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic one of those who could come in if a £40m deal could be agreed.
And United are still hopeful of agreeing a deal with Inter Milan for their attacking midfielder Ivan Perisic.
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