WHAT’S EATING JOSE?
Mourinho blasts back at Ajax insisting they shouldn’t even be in the Europa League
JOSE MOURINHO has rekindled his war of words with Ajax by questioning their right to contest the Europa League final.
Manchester United take on the Dutch club on Wednesday but Mourinho does not believe they should even be involved in the competition. The Reds boss was responding after Ajax coach Peter Bosz told him to stop moaning about the fixture pile-up United have faced. The final will be their 64th match of the season, compared to 54 for the Eredivisie outfit. Bosz’s young squad have played 18 European games this season, four more than United. They dropped into the Europa League after crashing out of the qualifying play-offs to reach the group stage of the Champions League – a route that Mourinho argues should be blocked. “They’re a Champions League team, they come from the Champions League, I always disagree with it,” he said. “I think a team shouldn’t play two European competitions in the same season. They should go home, they shouldn’t have the opportunity to play the Europa League. “The Europa League is for teams who go into the Europa League, like us. We finished fifth last season, so we went into the Europa League. “We started the Europa League from the beginning of the season and we have had to fight to be where we are.” Mourinho confirmed United’s injured players will travel to the final in Stockholm to be with the rest of the squad, including 28-goal leading scorer Ibrahimovic, whose season ended when he suffered season-ending cruciate ligament damage in the quarter-final against Anderlecht. “Everybody goes,” said Mourinho. “We have a few on crutches, but everybody goes. “It’s a fantastic group of players, there’s been a fantastic spirit since the beginning of the season, in a difficult run, with lots of matches. “We spend more time travelling and playing, more time in hotels than at home, because 60-something matches means 140 days in hotels, so half of the year we spend together and that’s only possible when the spirit is amazing. “So crutches for Young, for Shaw, for Rojo, for Zlatan, but we all go together.” Asked if the number of games and the injuries to his players would have a negative impact on his squad ahead of the final, Mourinho said: “No chance. No chance. “On Tuesday, when we put a foot in that plane we think just about one thing.” Mourinho insists he will carry through his threat to use a host of United’s youth team players in the final Premier League game of the season against Crystal Palace tomorrow. With nothing riding on the outcome for either team, the Portuguese – who has complained about the clash with Ajax coming so soon after the top-flight finale – will take the chance to give his established players a rest ahead of the final. But world record £89million signing Paul Pogba, back from compassionate leave following the death of his father, will start against the Eagles. Mourinho said: “Paul is fine, a strong guy with a strong mentality. He’s learning how to live after his father passed away. But he’s strong and he knows he needs to play on Sunday because he hasn’t played or trained for a long time and he needs these minutes on the pitch. “Chris Smalling has a problem, but I think no problem at all for next week.” There is question mark over midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who has a hamstring problem. “We wait for the results of today’s scans, as we decided not to do it yesterday,” added Mourinho. “Again, his feelings are not bad, but let’s wait. “I will bring in three or four of the first-team players, just to play one half, each one to give a little bit of experience to the team, but at the same time save them all for Wednesday.” Skipper Wayne Rooney, who is likely to leave the club this summer, could be denied an Old Trafford farewell. “I don’t know about Wayne or not,” said Mourinho. “He played 90 minutes in the last match, so probably won’t play. “The only positive from the situation is to save my players, to give them better conditions for Wednesday. “It’s the only positive thing.”