UNITED Mourinho still has one vacancy for Wembley starting XI
IT was only three questions into Jose Mourinho’s post-match briefing following defeat at Brighton on Friday when he was asked: “Does it disappoint with you with an FA Cup final place to play for so many of those players you talk about were so flat tonight?”
“I think you should be disappointed,” Mourinho began. “And when I say you I say media in a general way, because for many months you are always asking me why this player doesn’t play, why that player doesn’t play, why this player is on the bench, why always Lukaku, why always this guy?”
Mourinho had given near-verbatim responses to Sky Sports and the BBC moments earlier to effectively inform Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial they would not be starting the FA Cup final. Even with two Premier League fixtures remaining and second still not certain, Mourinho has pretty much all but confirmed 10 of his Wembley starters.
Any lingering pain Romelu Lukaku felt in his foot may have subsided following Mourinho’s comments. The Belgian is recovering in Antwerp.
Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, also sidelined on Friday night, are certain to start against Chelsea on May 19. Jesse Lingard, United’s standout outfielder at Brighton despite emerging in the 68th minute, probably is, too. Nemanja Matic, Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba is Mourinho’s top six triumvirate. David de Gea is untouchable, Antonio Valencia’s competition is Matteo Darmian, Ashley Young has been a first-teamer for eight months and Mourinho has not dropped Chris Smalling since he regained his place on September 30. Smalling’s partner is the only vacancy left in Mourinho’s cup final XI – barring injury to one of the aforementioned 10 – and after Phil Jones’ resounding return against Bournemouth and Tottenham it is perhaps his to lose.
Only Jones, rock-steady for much of the first half of the campaign, has missed more than three months through injury. Muscle injuries and ailments have restricted him to just 23 out of a possible 53 starts and Mourinho’s illogical approach with his centrehalves suggests the World Cup is jeopardising United’s chances of salvaging silverware.
“He’s the only central defender whose country is not in the World Cup,” Mourinho said of Eric Bailly on Thursday. “So if I have to make a kind of more emotional effective choice to help my players he’s the one I’m not going to help.” Mourinho contradicted himself by starting the dismal Darmian the next day.
Marcos Rojo was of no help on his first club appearance in more than three months at Brighton and Victor Lindelof has lined up in three of United’s 11 encounters against their top-six competitors, although he played 90 minutes against Chelsea in February. However brittle Bailly is, four of his 14 starts this term have come against Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool and City and United’s defence is more secure with him in it.
Lindelof was too porous defending against Henrikh Mkhitaryan last month and Rojo did not perform well at Brighton. Bailly has not played in any of the last six games and made the bench in just two of them, so is entitled to some playing time at West Ham or against Watford this week.
Mourinho should not give him a swerve.