Jimmy injury scare
ANDERSON IN ROSES AGONY /PAGE 40
JOSE Mourinho has hinted Angel Gomes could make his United debut against Crystal Palace tomorrow.
Gomes, 16, became the youngest recipient of the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award on Thursday night and trained with the first-team at Carrington yesterday morning.
Sheffield-born Zachary Dearnley, Matty Willock and Demetri Mitchell also took part in the session and Mourinho outlined how his team would look for the final game of the Premier League season.
“You will have two goalkeepers, Joel [Pereira] and [Kieran] O’Hara,” Mourinho said. “We will have Mitchell, McTominay, Josh Harrop, Matthew Willock, Gomes, Zachary, I think that’s it. Plus Timo Fosu-Mensah, Axel, so lots of them.
“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.”
Mourinho said he would ordinarily have avoided playing such a raw group together in the same line-up. “All together? No,” he added. “I think one in the middle of a good structure, a dynamic structure, an experienced structure, I think yes. Lots of them together, no.”
Mourinho has confirmed Paul Pogba will start the match after missing the recent league games at Tottenham and Southampton following the death of his father and other senior figures will feature. “I will bring three or four of the first-team players, just to play one half,” Mourinho stressed.
“Each one where I can give a little bit of experience to the team but at the same time save them all for Wednesday.”
The manager suggested Wayne Rooney would not play after completing 90 minutes at St Mary’s. “I don’t know on Wayne or not,” he replied. “He played 90 minutes in the last match so probably not.”
United special: Pages 45-47