Celta plan more pain for exhausted United
JOSE Mourinho must patch up an injury ravaged Manchester United squad as the English side’s quest for Europa League glory faces its stiffest test yet with a semifinal, first leg trip to Celta Vigo tonight.
The Portuguese manager described United’s nine-match April schedule as “not human” after another disappointing 1-1 home draw in the Premier League against relegation threatened Swansea City on Sunday.
His side’s schedule doesn’t get any easier, with six more games to come over the next 19 days in a bid to seal Champions League qualification either by winning the Europa League or squeezing into the top four of the Premier League.
“If we beat Celta, we have the final and, in this moment, it is o bv i o u s l y h y p o t h e t i c a l ,” Mourinho told the United website.
“The Europa League final is on the Wednesday and we play against Crystal Palace on the Sunday. Before that, we play Southampton away a few days before, so we would be playing the final with disastrous consequences.”
The English giants are without top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic due to cruciate ligament damage.
Meanwhile, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly added to United’s defensive woes as they join Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marco Rojo on the sidelines, meaning Mourinho will need to look for emergency solutions at centre-back.
Mourinho (pictured, AFP) has been critical of Jones and Smalling’s unwillingness to play through the pain barrier and doesn’t expect them to rush back, meaning right-back Mateo Darmian, midfielder Michael Carrick or 19-year-old Axel Tuanzebe could deputise at the heart of the defence.
“That’s my personal opinion, I don’t think they will [be fit] but I know the players I choose will give everything. It doesn’t matter if I go with Darmian or Carrick or Axel, I trust the boys.”
The visitors will have Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini back available, while Juan Mata could make his comeback from groin surgery after being an unused ed substitute against Swansea.wansea.
Celta, by contrast, have had the luxuryuxury of resting up Eduardo duardo Berizzo’s preferrederred XI for the majorityority of their recent t La Liga games as the Galicians concenentrate on trying to win a first everver major trophy.
“We a l s o know what’s at t s t ake – not t only that you u win the Europaa League, which h is huge, but youu can also win a place ce in t h e C h a mpi i o n s League,” Celta strik- er John GuidettiGu told UEFA. com. “You“Yo have dreams about that.”th And the former Manchestercheste City man would revel in ending United’s chancescha of winning the Europa League for the first time. “As“A they say “Manchesterche is blue”, and that’sthat how it will be whenwhe we visit there as well, because we are Celta Vigo [ who also play in sky blue] and we will trytr to keep the city blue.” Fo r merm L i v e r p o o l striker Iago Aspas is CelCe l t a’s mai n t h r e a t , though,though as he’s struck 24 times thist season.