Hectic schedule makes Mourinho an anxious flier
SAINT-ETIENNE, France — Jose Mourinho said on Thursday he is concerned about how many air miles Manchester United is wracking up as it continues to battle on four fronts.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the only goal of the game at Saint-Etienne on Wednesday after 16 minutes to kill off any suspense in United’s Europa League last32 tie, which it won 4-0 on aggregate.
United needs to negotiate three more two-legged ties to reach the final in Stockholm on May 24, but Mourinho’s biggest worry is how far his team must travel, given it will mostly be playing twice a week until the end of the season as the battle for a top-four Premier League finish shares the spotlight with runs in three cup competitions.
Ideally, Mourinho would like a return to France in the next round of the Europa League.
“I’m used to difficult draws; sometimes I think some balls are cold and some balls are hot,” said the United manager.
“If I could choose, I would choose not to travel a lot because we have Chelsea (in the FA Cup) in between the two (Europa) matches.
“We have Middlesbrough away after the second match, so if you give me something like (Russia’s) Krasnodar or some very far destination, I would prefer Lyon, a twohour flight. I would prefer something close.”
Despite leading 3-0 from the first leg, Mourinho picked a strong side in France, restoring Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba to his XI after their bench roles in Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup victory at Blackburn.
Both played the full 90 minutes as injuries to Henrikh Mhiktaryan and Michael Carrick forced Mourinho into two substitutions.
And the Portuguese boss fears fatigue may take its toll as United juggles matches in the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Sunday’s League Cup final against Southampton.
However, the Red Devils are unbeaten in 16 league matches, and Mourinho is anxious they don’t lose the winning habit.
“It’s a nice, good feeling. We trust in each other and one day we’re going to lose, but the important thing after a defeat is to go back on a good run because the team is playing in a solid way,” he said.