Kevin Mirallas urges Marc Wilmots to leave Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj out of Belgium World Cup squad

Everton midfielder Kevin Mirallas has urged Belgium manager Marc Wilmots not to pick Manchester United’s Adnan Januzaj in his World Cup squad.

Januzaj, 19, is one of few Manchester United players to have enhanced his reputation during what has been a torrid season at Old Trafford.

Having been eligible to play for Kosovo, Albania, Serbia, Turkey and potentially England as well as Belgium, Januzaj’s decision to play for his nation of birth has attracted a lot of attention.

While Mirallas says that the decision is good for Belgium, he has a list of reasons as to why Januzaj shouldn’t be included in Wilmots’ squad for Brazil.

“There was a lot of pressure on him to make his mind up, and it is good for Belgium that he has chosen us, because he is a good player,” said the Everton winger.

“But I don’t think he should go to Brazil. It would not be fair to leave out another good player for someone who does not know the others and has not played a lot for his club in recent months.

“Adnan does not know the group, and the fact is, he has not had much game time at Manchester United lately. It’s not as if we are short of good players in that area of the team. In fact, there are a lot of good players in his position in the Belgium squad, so it is going to be difficult for him.”

Mirallas, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season but is expected to return to fitness in time for the start of the World Cup, also questioned whether Januzaj has found his best position.

He added: “He has yet to prove at United that he can be their number one asset in his particular position. I think for him, the European Championships in 2016 would be a more realistic target.”