Manchester United's players reportedly poked fun at midfield flop Fred during pre-season.
Brazilian midfielder Fred arrived at Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in a £53m deal in the summer of 2018.
But he has so far failed to show anywhere near the form that persuaded United to make a move for him.
The 26-year-old slipped right down the pecking order but injuries to the likes of Paul Pogba mean he is in contention to start against Liverpool this weekend.
Fred missed the first chunk of United's pre-season tour this summer due to his wedding being booked for July.
He assumed he would be unable to marry his partner in the close season as he expected to be in the Brazil squad for Copa America.
But the midfielder was dropped by his country and then had to plead with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for more time off.
The Times reports he became the 'butt of jokes' among the United players after his summer gaffe.
Meanwhile, boss Solskjaer insists the job is not too big for him - and believes he is the man to turn things around.
United sit 12th in the Premier League ahead of the visit of leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
“No, I've never felt it's too big for me,” said Solskjaer. “I'm confident in what we're trying to do and with my staff, I've been so impressed.
“We need to create more chances, because at the back we've looked solid, but we haven't been adventurous enough, taken enough risks.
“The best teams around take more risks, do more runs and maybe the boys, when they lose confidence, they play safe and it's my duty to say it's not safety.”
