STRIKER LIGHT
Fellaini up front after Jose KO woe
JOSE MOURINHO has NO strikers available for tonight’s FA Cup clash at Chelsea.
The Manchester United boss was already without banned star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his return to the Blues. Now it has emerged that Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial are injured, while Marcus Rashford is ill. None of them travelled to London with the squad and Mourinho may now have to pick Marouane Fellaini in attack. Rooney was injured following a collision with team-mate Phil Jones, although United
refused to confirm when Martial was injured. Rashford was struck down with a stomach bug and sent home over the weekend. The 19-year-old’s absence is a huge blow for Mourinho, who has backed him to shine after a tricky second season. Rashford burst onto the scene in stunning fashion last term and earned himself a place in Roy Hodgson’s squad for Euro 2016. But the arrival of superstar Ibrahimovic has stifled his progress this time round, although Mourinho has no concerns about his development and is expecting him to bounce back and be even stronger for the experience. The United boss (left) said: “He is a good kid, a good humble boy and he tries to learn with every experience. “We had a nice conversation where he said that even in the dressing room at half-time he learns. He is a good kid with a good mentality.
“He is having his opportunities, his minutes, he is having lots of experiences. I am happy.
“I think the third season is one when he will have more maturity, he can build on his experiences. I am sure the third season will be better than the second.
Impact
“I knew it would be a difficult season for him. The season of the surprise, the season without pressure, the season where nobody demands, the season where nobody knows him, he comes in and makes an impact, he feels free.
“The second season was always going to be a difficult one for him. The pressure, people know him and he has the expectation of a national team player. But I think the third season is going to be the good one again.”
United’s striker crisis makes Antonio Conte’s Premier League leaders red-hot favourites to win tonight and book a place in the Wembley semi-finals.
Mourinho is desperate to avenge the 4-0 hammering United suffered at the Blues in the Premier League earlier this season. The drubbing took place on his first return to Stamford Bridge since being sacked in December 2015.
But Mourinho has admitted that winning the Europa League is more important than defending the FA Cup that United won last May.
That would give United a place in the Champions League and boost his chances of keeping Ibrahimovic at the club and landing his main summer targets.
United insiders say Rooney, Martial and Rashford could be available for Thursday’s Europa League last-16 return leg with Rostov at Old Trafford. The first leg in Russia finished 1-1.
Ibrahimovic will also be available to face Rostov as his three-match ban is for domestic games only.