Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that as many as five players will be missing the game against Chelsea at Old Trafford tomorrow.
Manchester United are all set to welcome Antonio Conte’s Chelsea to the Theatre of Dreams in what could turn out to be a cracker of a game. Chelsea currently sit 4th on the Premier League log, three points behind Manchester United. They would not only look to close down the gap but will also be looking to do the league double over the Red Devils for the 4th time in the Premier League.
Talking numbers, Manchester United have tasted a victory just once in their last 14 games against Chelsea in all competitions (D5 L8).
Talking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Chelsea fixture, manager Jose Mourinho confirmed that as many as five players – including four of the individuals who featured in last season’s 2-0 win at Old Trafford – will miss the game due to their respective injuries.
When quipped about Ander Herrera, who limped off the field in 17th minute of Manchester United’s first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League clash against Sevilla, the gaffer confirmed that he is a sure absentee and also mentioned that no player, who is already injured, would be marking their return. Mourinho said (manutd.com),
“Ander is out. I don’t know the final diagnosis but I know he’ll be out for a few weeks. I don’t know how many is a few – two, three, four, five, six weeks – I don’t know, but a few weeks, for sure. Coming back from injury – nobody else.”.
This means that the likes of Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be missing the game.
All of the aforementioned names except Phil Jones featured in Manchester United’s win over the Blues back in April 2017 where goals from Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera sealed a 2-0 win for the Devils. The Spaniard was a peripheral figure in United’s win as it was he who marked Eden Hazard for the entirety of the game, changing the course of the game.
So as things stand for Herrera this season, he has been struggling with a muscle problem in recent weeks and his substitution against Sevilla led to Mourinho questioning the club’s medical staff soon after.
That being said, with the Spaniard not available for selection, Paul Pogba is expected to slot into the first XI.
