United’s win comes at a price

Beat Rostov 1-0 to enter Europa League quarters but lose Pogba to injury

MANCHESTER United's progress to the Europa League quarterfinals came at a cost after Paul Pogba hobbled off with a hamstring injury in the 1-0 win over Rostov on Thursday. United manager Jose Mourinho suggested Pogba “paid a price” for the team's accumulation of fixtures as the world's most expensive player pulled up in the 47th minute at Old Trafford and slumped to the ground.

The English club ended up stumbling through to the last eight, with Juan Mata's 70thminute goal winning the second leg and clinching a 2-1 victory on aggregate. United will be the standout team in the draw for the quarterfinals in Nyon on Friday, with Lyon potentially the biggest rival.

The French side lost 2-1 at Roma but went through 5-4 on aggregate because of its big win at home last week. There looks to be good depth in French soccer at present, with Monaco qualifying for the Champions League quarterfinals and Paris Saint-germain missing out only because of a sensational secondleg fightback in the last 16.

Mouctar Diakhaby put Lyon ahead in the 16th before Roma fought back through Kevin Strootman's strike and Lucas Tousard's own goal. Compared to recent years, Europe's secondtier competition is shorn of genuine quality.

United will be the favorite and is taking the competition seriously as it offers a route into the Champions League. United is sixth in the English Premier League, with only the top four securing Champions League qualification. Fatigue might prove to be a factor for Mourinho's side, though.

Injuries are mounting, with Daley Blind joining Pogba in goingoffearlyinthesecondhalfand Marcos Rojo playing on through injury to the final whistle.

Mourinho miffed

The Premier League just doesn't care about Manchester United, according to Jose Mourinho. The United manager complained about the congested schedule on Thursday, saying his team shouldn't have to get back on the field early on Sunday after playing in the Europa League on Thursday night.

“They simply don't care,” Mourinho said after United reached the Europa League quarterfinals by beating Rostov 1-0. “In other countries they try to do that little support to the teams in Europe. But here it is difficult. We go Sunday at 12 o'clock. Why? Why us? So it's going to be even more difficult for us.”

United played in the FA Cup on Monday, losing to Chelsea. They then had to play Thursday in the second leg of the Europa League. And the team now has only Friday and Saturday off before and an early wakeup call on Sunday to face Middlesbrough in the Premier League.

OTHER RESULTS:

Borussia Monchengladbach 2, Schalke 2 (3-3 aggregate, Schalke advance on away goals), Ajax 2, Copenhagen 0, (Ajax advance 32 on aggregate), Besiktas 4, Olympiakos 1 (Besiktas advances 5-2 on aggregate), Krasnodar 0, Celta Vigo 2 ( Celta Vigo advance 4-1 on aggregate)

AP United manager Mourinho said midfielder Paul Pogba, who limped off the field after pulling his hamstring , “paid the price” for the team’s hectic schedule .