Mourinho delighted with United’s attacking options for Palace clash
JOSE Mourinho will be able to call on a fully fit Manchester United squad for today’s meeting with Crystal Palace, despite fears earlier this week of a mounting injury crisis.
United were hit by several injury concerns before and during the international break, with Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini staying behind in Manchester.
Marcus Rashford subsequently limped out of England’s victory over Croatia with a knock, while Romelu Lukaku suffered a hamstring problem while on duty with Belgium.
However, Mourinho expects all five to be available for selection this weekend. The United manager went as far as to confirm that both Martial and Fellaini, previously sidelined through groin injuries, will play today.
“Martial stayed with us, he didn’t go to the national team,” Mourinho said yesterday.
“The national team was aware of his problems and with permission he stayed, he worked really hard on that.
“I like to call that a pre-injury because problems in the muscles around it, they are a dangerous situation and he was in a pre-injury situation.
“He worked really hard, he’s ready, he plays.
“Is he ready to play three in a row in the same week? I don’t know, but the most important match is the next.
“Fellaini also stayed, no national team, they also let him stay in spite of playing 90 minutes against Manchester City. He needed to stay and prepare himself better after such an injury that he had before, so Marouane is also good.”
Pogba did not travel with France due to a thigh problem but will be available to Mourinho against Palace, while Rashford, Lukaku and captain Antonio Valencia are also fit and in contention.
“Rashford came with a little problem but is ready, Lukaku is ready, I would say ready with a little bit of a risk but ready, and Paul we knew with this break he would recover from that small muscular injury,” Mourinho said.
“We don’t have (injured) players I can say are out of the game, we have a huge 23 group to choose (for the Palace match).”
Luke Shaw is United’s only absentee.
The left back will serve a onematch suspension after picking up five yellow cards since the start of the season.
Wilfried Zaha is fit again for Crystal Palace and will start against his former club.
Since returning to south London, Zaha has developed into one of the Premier League’s most explosive and unpredictable attacking players, but his importance to his side has been magnified when he is unavailable.