Rooney in line for Wembley recall
Jose Mourinho plans to include Wayne Rooney in his Manchester United squad for tomorrow’s League Cup final against Southampton but has warned there will be no place for sentimentality in his selection as he targets the 24th trophy of his managerial career.
Rooney has not played for more than three weeks as a result of illness, injury and the uncertainty over his future amid the prospect of a move to the Chinese Super League before the close of their transfer window tomorrow.
But after Rooney announced on Thursday evening that he would remain at Old Trafford until the end of the season, the United and England captain will be drafted into only his second squad in the past six matches for the Wembley showpiece, even if there are no guarantees he will feature in the match.
Michael Carrick is expected to start in central midfield alongside Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera, despite an injury scare against St-Étienne in the Europa League on Wednesday, but with Henrikh Mkhitaryan ruled out with a hamstring problem, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial should start on the flanks with Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front.
Asked if there was any place for sentiment in his team selection, Mourinho said: “Only the best 11 players. I go for the best possible team. I have to make a decision [on the team]. You know that we normally play two different systems. Sometimes we play with two midfielders and a No 10.
“Sometimes we play with a No6 and two midfield players in front. Without Mkhitaryan, if you want to play with a No 10 obviously [for] Wayne, it’s his position. He is an option for me. A final is a special match and he’s an option for me.”
Having initially been critical of the decision to schedule United’s FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea for Monday, March 13, Mourinho is now relieved it will give his squad extra recuperation time after they were drawn to face FC Rostov in Russia in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie four days earlier. He believes the combination of the Russian side’s physicality and a 5,000-mile round trip make it “a bad draw in every aspect”.