Russia holds no demons for United’s new star
TRIPS to Russia have traditionally been seen as complicated assignments for English clubs, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan will have little trouble acclimatising when Manchester United visit CSKA Moscow this week.
The speedy attacking midfielder was born in Yerevan in 1989 when the Armenian capital was still part of the Soviet Union.
He speaks fluent, accent-free Russian, the legacy both of a maternal grandmother from Moscow and the four years he spent in the Russian-speaking Ukrainian city of Donetsk with first Metalurg and then Shakhtar.
United tackle CSKA at VEB Arena in the Champions League today, looking to build on their 3-0 home win over Basel in their opening Group A fixture.
Mkhitaryan, 28, scored on their previous visit to Russia in March, his away goal at FC Rostov paving the way for a 2-1 aggregate win in the Europa League last 16.
The former Borussia Dortmund player proved something of a lucky charm for United in the competition.
His six goals in the tournament included one in each leg of the quarterfinal against Anderlecht and the predatory close-range finish, early in the second half, that rubberstamped their 2-0 win over Ajax in the final in Stockholm.
“The game of my life was last season’s Europa League final,” he said.
“That’s because it was the first European trophy for me and the first one ever for an Armenian footballer.”
Mkhitaryan had missed United’s win over Southampton in the League Cup final through injury and his goalscoring turn against Ajax supplied a golden end to what had initially been a difficult maiden campaign.
A £26-million (R466.6-million) signing from Dortmund, he made his first start in a high-stakes derby against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Old Trafford in September.
But he played so poorly, and looked so off the pace, that he was substituted at half time.
He did not return to the starting XI until early December and it was not until the season’s second half that he became a first-team fixture.
His Europa League displays had the triple effect of cementing his place in the team, charming United’s fans and helping the club secure a return to the Champions League.
Now he is a central figure, his surging runs a thrilling component of United’s play.
With Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard also vying for a starting place, there is no shortage of competition for the three attacking midfield berths behind striker Romelu Lukaku.
But Mkhitaryan is the only member of that quintet to have started all six of United’s league games to date and with Paul Pogba injured, his creativity is even more important to manager Jose Mourinho.
“He understands me and, to be honest, I understand him,” Mourinho said last month.
“In the beginning of last season, if he understood me better, then he would have started better.
“But, at the same time, if I understood him better, I would probably have helped him in a faster way than I did,” he said.
“I believe, with his talent, that this season is going to be even better.”