Pog’s back for reds’ euro clash
JOSE Mourinho has confirmed Paul Pogba is fit to start for United in their Champions League clash with Sevilla tonight.
Pogba missed the weekend’s FA Cup fifth round win at Huddersfield through illness, having been unwell for the Premier League defeat at Newcastle six days earlier.
United announced Pogba’s absence for the Huddersfield trip hours before the cup tie and the 24-year-old clarified he needed to ‘get better’ on his social media accounts.
Speculation has mounted over supposed tension between Pogba and Mourinho in recent weeks after the France international was substituted in United’s last two away losses.
Mourinho dismissed certain reports as ‘lies’. Pogba trained with his United team-mates yesterday at Carrington before flying to Seville, where he is in contention for a recall. Pogba scored the winner in the Europa League final last season and has excelled in ‘big six’ tests against Arsenal and Chelsea but has been accused of struggling in pivotal matches.
Mourinho refuted the suggestion that £89m Pogba should take on extra responsibility as United’s costliest player. “I don’t think it’s fair to speak about the responsibilities of a player,” Mourinho added. “I don’t even like the fact the player that cost X millions doesn’t have the same responsibility as the player that cost three times X, the responsibility is for everyone.
“So I don’t like that approach. I understand it for you, but not for me. And the same way I decide a team to play I don’t look to the age, I don’t look at the salary, I don’t look at the transfer fee, because that’s not also fair.”