Mata and Fellaini on target to put United in driving seat
Marouane Fellaini repaid Jose Mourinho’s faith with a late header that gave Manchester United a 2-0 EFL Cup semifinal advantage against injury-ravaged Hull.
The Belgium midfielder has long been a divisive figure at Old Trafford and has even been jeered by pockets of home fans recently.
However, Fellaini has been continually backed by Mourinho and ended last night’s first-leg encounter with the Stretford End chanting his name after he nodded home a late goal to add to Juan Mata’s close-range opener.
It was a late sucker-punch for a Hull side forced to play two midfielders in defence due to injury problems that worsened as Markus Henriksen and Josh Tymon were forced off in their first ever EFL Cup semi-final appearance.
Hull, bottom of the Premier League, equipped themselves well for the most part and it looked like Marco Silva’s men would restrict United to Mata’s 56th-minute goal, which came shortly after Wayne Rooney had passed up a fine chance to notch a record 250th goal for the club.
Paul Pogba hit the post as the Tigers dug deep, before substitute Fellaini rose at the far post to send in a looping header.
The midfielder went over to hug Mourinho after a goal that wrapped up a ninth successive
0 Juan Mata scores from close range to put Manchester United ahead in last night’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Hull City.
0 Mata, right, celebrates with team-mates after his opener. win in all competitions for inform United.
Meanwhile, it is understood United have agreed a £22 million fee to sell French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin to Everton.
The 27-year-old moved to Old Trafford from Southampton in a deal worth around £25m in July 2015 but has struggled to make an impact since Mourinho’s arrival last summer.
Schneiderlin now looks set to join former Saints boss Ronald Koeman at Goodison Park, with realistic add-ons understood to have been built in that could take the transfer figure to £24m.
The move is set to bring an end to a difficult spell in Manchester for the France international, who has struggled for game time since Mourinho’s appointment.
He is yet to start a match in the league this season, having been named in the first XI 25 times by Louis van Gaal last campaign, and has made just eight appearances in all with Mourinho admitting last week that he no longer considered the midfielder for selection.
Commenting on the futures of Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay, who has also been linked with a move to Goodison, the Portuguese manager said: “Their situation is exactly the same, both of them I will allow to leave the club.
“I will allow them to leave if the right offer comes. Until this moment, no. Is this a good situation? No. Why not? Because I don’t think about them as options in this moment.”
Depay is another player whose future at United appears close to coming to an end.
It is understood Lyon are eyeing a move for the Dutchman, with Everton also reportedly interested. John Terry will serve a onematch ban after Chelsea’s appeal against his red card against Peterborough was rejected.
Terry, making his first start since October and first appearance since November, was adjudged to be last man when he fouled Lee Angol and was shown a straight red card by referee Kevin Friend in Sunday’s FA Cup tie.