UNITED V PALACE Jose: Price is all people see of Pogba

JOSE Mourinho has accused Paul Pogba’s critics of judging the United midfielder on the basis of his world record transfer fee.

United re-signed Pogba for £89million from Juventus in August and the sum has driven numerous pundits’ analysis of Pogba’s first season back in English football.

“I think the problem is the tag,” Mourinho said. “The price tag on his back. I hope next summer he’s not any more the highest transfer fee and then the pressure goes to somebody else.

“If his transfer fee was half of it, everybody would say, ‘What a buy,’ ‘He’s playing more than good’. But everybody expects performances according to that huge transfer fee and that brings pressure and that brings sometimes unfair analysis.”

Mourinho has previously berated players like Eden Hazard for being unwilling to ‘sacrifice’ themselves yet he identified that quality in Pogba.

“He had very good matches, he had very good performances,” Mourinho told Omnisport. “He always sacrifices for the team. If I go for example to Rostov, the way he played in Rostov was amazing.

“He had little matches where the performance was not so good but normally the performance is related to the team. So when the team was very good, he was very good. When the team didn’t perform so well, he didn’t perform so well.

“So I think it’s a bit unfair. I hope next season some club beats the record with another player and then the pressure goes somewhere else.” MAROUANE Fellaini is United’s only injury doubt for next week’s Europa League final.

Fellaini came off during the second-half of Wednesday night’s draw with Southampton but was adamant he had not torn a muscle.

The 29-year-old started both of United’s Europa League semifinal legs against Celta Vigo, scoring in the Old Trafford draw, and shone in a three-man midfield with Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera against Chelsea last month.

Chris Smalling is expected to miss tomorrow’s visit of Crystal Palace but Mourinho expects the defender to be available for the Stockholm final.

“Smalling has a problem but a small problem that I think no problem at all for next week,” Mourinho said. “Problem for the weekend but not for the final and Marouane is the question mark, is the question mark we wait for scans.

“We decide not to do yesterday, again his feelings are not bad, but let’s wait. And Timo Fosu-Mensah plays Sunday and if the reaction is good and if he manages to play the game without problems he’s a new option for us for the final.”

Paul Pogba did not play at Tottenham or Southampton following his father’s death and Mourinho stressed he needed playing time against Palace.

“Paul is fine,” Mourinho added. “Strong guy, 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 doesn’t play, he doesn’t train for a long time and he needs this minutes on the pitch, so he plays against Palace.”

Mourinho could hand debuts to six academy graduates against Palace and reiterated he is preserving his players for the showpiece final with Ajax next week.

“The only positive is to save my players to give them better conditions for Wednesday,” he said. “It’s the only positive thing.

“Individually for the kids it will be a great experience, Old Trafford, Premier League, Crystal Palace, last match of the season. I think for the kids will be a big occasion and a good experience for that.

“But I repeat the best level for a young player is in the middle of an experienced structure.

“I don’t think is good [to play them all together] because there is a big difference of physical quality between them and Crystal Palace, so I would prefer to give them debuts like I did Axel and Joel against Wigan, or a big match but for one player.

“But with so many at the same time I think they really need my support, Nicky Butt’s support, supporters to understand the difficult job they have because it will not be an easy one for them.”

Mourinho revealed he had consulted academy head Butt on his choices.

“Of course, I spoke with Nicky and his opinion is of course important,” he stressed.

“Every time they played at Old Trafford during the season I’ve been there, they trained with me many times.

“I know the kids and of course we try to bring the ones we think are more adapted to the needs of the team in this moment.”