Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Mourinho set to rest Utd players
JOSE Mourinho will stick with his plan to rest some of M a n c h e s t e r U n i t e d ’s players i n their Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
The United boss saw his side move a step closer to the Europa League Final as Marcus Rashford’s splendid free-kick secured a deserved, if hard-fought, 1-0 first-leg win at Celta Vigo.
The away goal could prove crucial but the narrow winning margin means Mourinho will, as suggested on the eve of the first leg, rest several players when United return to Premier League action this weekend.
The trip to Arsenal i s important in the race for the top-four but the Portuguese knows the job is not done in a competition that offers Champions League qualification as well as a historic trophy.
Asked if he will lay-up players at the Emirates ahead of the second leg, he said: “The players that are in accumulation, the players that are with lots of minutes because we played nine matches in April and this one, so 10 matches in fourand-a-half weeks.
“The players that are in accumulation, they are not going to play next weekend.”
United could easily have had one foot in the Stockholm final but they could not get the commanding result that their dominant play warranted.
“Sergio (Alvarez, Celta goalkeeper) had a couple of very important saves and the way we started the game and controlled the game in the first half, I think we deserve a better result,” Mourinho added.
“But the opponent was difficult, the match was difficult, the stadium was difficult, so I cannot be happier with the players and their work.
“1-0 i s really a short result. It could have been better, and seeing Celta’s trajectory i n the Europa League, t hey definitely deserve respect for the away match.”