Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira is taking Bastian Schweinsteiger's position as a warning for his own future, but feels the Manchester United player "does not deserve" the way he is being treated.
Khedira, 29, has seen his career troubled by injures and he has never played more than 28 games in a league season. Schweinsteiger, 32, has struggled for fitness himself and he made 18 Premier League appearances in his debut season at Old Trafford.
Schweinsteiger has yet to play a minute for new United boss Jose Mourinho and while he was included in the club's Premier League squad, he was omitted from the list submitted for the Europa League. Mourinho has said that it will be "very difficult" for the former Germany international to play for United again.
"You have to accept it if Jose Mourinho has other plans," Khedira told Die Welt about his former Germany teammate. "The overall situation is a shame, because Bastian is a player I've looked up to.
"On the other hand you have to understand the club. Football is business."
Khedira played under Mourinho during his first three years at Real Madrid, but then made just 24 La Liga appearances in two years under Carlo Ancelotti due to injury problems.
Madrid offered him a new contract, but Khedira felt he needed to leave the club to restart his club career and joined Juve on a free transfer last summer. He added that Schweinsteiger's current difficulties at United are a warning for him.
"I don't want to get into a situation where a club asks me to go," he said. "A player with a great career does not deserve to be told to just leave."