HONEST ASSESSMENT: P46-47
UNDER pressure Jose Mourinho has only three fully-fit defenders to rely on as Manchester United face another searching examination against Arsenal at Old Trafford tonight (BT Sport 8pm).
Marcos Rojo, Diogo Dalot and Matteo Darmian are United’s only defenders certain of being in contention for the visit of Unai Emery’s side, with a raft of injuries limiting Mourinho’s options otherwise.
Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly missed Saturday’s disappointing 2-2 draw at Southampton with foot and back injuries respectively, while Victor Lindelof is likely to be sidelined until Christmas with a muscular problem.
Mourinho (right) revealed at his pre-match press conference that Phil Jones will also miss Arsenal’s visit after picking up an injury at St Mary’s. Luke Shaw was withdrawn midway through the second half at St Mary’s with an injury and is also a doubt.
Antonio Valencia was not part of the matchday squad against Southampton and is set to remain unavailable. Ashley Young, meanwhile, is suspended.
Mourinho suggested that he will have to wait until the 11th hour to learn whether some of his injured defenders can play and admitted that selecting his starting line-up will be difficult.
Mourinho said: “Look, against Southampton, three hours before the game, I don’t know the team that is going to play. Nobody knew it — the team, and ourselves, we didn’t know.
“We were waiting and waiting and waiting to see who could, who couldn’t, and I think we are going to be in a very similar situation this time.
“If you ask me, if the game is now, at 11 o’clock, I would say Smalling is not playing, Bailly is not playing, Jones is not playing. We have to decide like in the last match with a couple of hours before the game.”
Two others taken off in the Southampton match were forwards Romelu Lukaku (knock) and Marcus Rashford, and there is a question mark over the former.
Rashford was backed after the game by Mourinho to be fit for this contest, while Alexis Sanchez (hamstring) remains sidelined. FEW in world rugby are proving better at making the most of chances than Jacob Stockdale, and the Ulsterman says his side must start taking theirs if they are to beat Scarlets in Friday’s crucial Champions Cup clash.
The province travel to Llanelli (7.45pm kick-off ) having won one and lost one in this season’s European action and a victory would give them real hopes of a first quarter-final since 2014.
Dan McFarland’s men go into the contest off the back of beating Cardiff in the Guinness PRO14 last weekend, but Stockdale believes his side will need to perform better if they are to overcome Scarlets.
“There were a lot of opportunities we didn’t take and I think we’re frustrated by that,” said the 22-year-old Irish star
(right). “It’s the sign of a good team, that we can get a win and still be really frustrated and wanting to push on and perform even better.”
Scarlets have lost both their games so far, home to Racing 92 and away to Leicester, and another loss would surely see last season’s semi-finalists out before Christmas.
Stockdale, though, is under no illusions about the task ahead.
“You want as much momentum as you can have going into Champions Cup week,” he added.
“Scarlets are a dangerous team and they’re really good in their own back yard. They’re known for attacking rugby but they’re really good defensively. It’s about trying to break them down as best we can and impose our own game plan on them.”