STRIKER
Jose warns red-hot Lukaku there will be no rest for him until Zlatan returns
JOSE MOURINHO has told Manchester United goal machine Romelu Lukaku he can’t afford to ease up until the cavalry arrives in the shape of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Considering the Swede is not due to play again until around Christmas, there is going to be little respite for the £75million striker, who has hit the Old Trafford ground running.
Ten goals in his first nine United games, plus another four in helping Belgium to qualify for the World Cup finals, have made it an electric start to the season.
There is a concern about the miles he is clocking up, however Mourinho says rotation is for his team-mates. “Without Zlatan we can’t rotate the strikers,” said the United boss. “Also we need Marcus Rashford to play in other postions.
“So until the moment we have Zlatan we cannot think about giving rest to our No.9.”
After facing pointless and goalless Crystal Palace today at Old Trafford, Lukaku joins up with Belgium. As they have booked their place in Russia next summer could there be a welcome breather for the 24-year-old forward?
“Belgium is the responsibility of Roberto Martinez. It is his decision to play him or not to play him,” Mourinho said.
“Professionally speaking I cannot say do this, do that.”
The exhausting workload is one of the main reasons the Reds can’t wait to be reunited with last season’s talisman Ibrahimovic, who is recovering from a serious knee injury. That is unlikely to be for another two to three months. Lukaku was at Chelsea
under Mourinho, but was sent out on loan to West Brom. The United boss added: “I don’t want to speak about his progress because if I do that it looks like we have done something extraordinary in three months – something he hasn’t done in the other years of his career. “It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t say that every step in his career, with different managers, different fellow players, different teams, has contributed to what he is now. “It has been about evolution. Every step in his career he has got it, he has grabbed it with both hands, ever since his first loan to West Brom. “He has been very strong in his desire to play in a team with other objectives now. “Champions League football was always his dream – to come to this level. Since he has arrived here I don’t think he has thought anything other than to be a success. ‘‘So he works hard. He rests. He is a great professional off the pitch. He has ambitions. “United, of course, is a different level of expectation and he is coping well.”