It’s a huge uncertainty
Midfielder Pogba’s illness concernss Mourinho ahead of Sevilla trip
LONDON: Jose Mourinho faces an anxious wait to discover whether Paul Pogba can take part in Manchester United’s midweek Champions League last-16 trip to Sevilla after he missed their English FA Cup victory over Huddersfield.
An unspecified illness saw Pogba withdraw on the morning of Saturday’s match in Huddersfield, which United won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Romelu Lukaku as they advanced into the quarter-finals.
United manager Mourinho, whose relationship with club-record signing Pogba has been under close scrutiny in recent weeks, insisted he did not even know what the illness was or how long the France midfielder may be unable to play, having planned to play him in a 4-3-3 system that the player considers his favourite.
“I don’t know,” said Mourinho when asked about the nature of Pogba’s illness after Saturday’s match.
“When I was told by the doctor this morning that he was not coming, I don’t want to know anything else about it – I have to think who is going to replace him, what I am going to do because we worked hard during the week.”
The Portuguese boss added: “Now is the time to think about Paul, to know what happened, why he didn’t feel good enough to play, can he play or be available to help us on Wednesday?”
Pogba has reportedly been unhappy in recent weeks at the style Mourinho has adopted, generally playing him alongside Nemanja Matic in a two-man midfield.
But ahead of Saturday’s match, Mourinho appeared prepared to meet the wishes of Pogba, who rejoined United from Juventus for £89.3mil (RM488mil) in August 2016, by playing him on the left side of a three-man midfield set-up.
United still won comfortably, thanks to Lukaku’s double, although victory could have been even more emphatic but for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Neil Swarbrick ruling out a Juan Mata “goal” late in the fir rst half in an incredibly close offside call.
“It was my first experience on th he bench but we have VAR in Portugal,” said Mourinho.M
“It is amazing when the truth co omes but also (there are) problems like what happenedh today (Saturday) which go against th he words of the protocol.
“The words of the protocol are so omething like a ‘clear and obvious situation’ ’ and for sure it is not a clear and obvious situ ation but we know it is experimental and we e have to accept, but I am speaking after a 2-0 victory,” he stressed.
“The feeling is a bit strange and I wasw sharing it with David (Wagner) on the touchlinet which is the moment of doubt.
“We score a goal, I cannot be happ py. “David concedes a goal but he doesn’t know (quickly) if he goes to half-time at 1-0 or 2-0.
“So we have to adapt to that waiting time and cope with the frustration when that decision goes against you.”
Although Wagner’s side benefited from the VAR in this instance, the Huddersfie eld manager said he was against the expe erimental system.
“I said immediately to Jose, during g the incident, whatever is decided, whether i it goes in our favour or not, I don’t like it,” Wagner explained.
“The emotion is killed, the emotio on in the stadium, the stands, for us in the du ug-outs. It is killed. That’s why I don’t like it,” the German added.
United have been drawn to face Brighton in the last eight – a tie that revives m memories of the 1983 FA Cup final when they ev ventually defeated the Seagulls after a Wemble ey replay.
Brighton, relegated from the oldo First Division at the end of that season, are currently just two points above the bottomom three and Chris Hughton’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat in the English Premier League at Old Trafford in November. — AFP