Chance for fringe United players
JOSE MOURINHO will give Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw a chance to prove themselves in Manchester United’s FA Cup clash with Wigan.
United set up a Wembley date with Southampton on Thursday night, progressing to the EFL Cup final despite losing their semi-final second leg 2-1 at struggling Hull.
Attention switches to the FA Cup this weekend as 2013 winners Wigan visit Old Trafford for tomorrow’s televised fourth-round tie.
Mourinho has pledged to name a strong line-up against the Latics but use his squad depth, with Martial and Shaw among those set to come in.
Martial’s happiness has been questioned recently and the United boss confirmed the Frenchman will get a chance to shine on Sunday.
Asked how the France international took being left out at Hull, Mourinho said: “I don’t know, I don’t speak with the players about how they take it.
“He will play Sunday and if he plays magnificently, he will play against Hull in the next match. It’s simple.”
Shaw is also set to get a chance to prove his worth tomorrow after returning to the United squad at Hull. The 21-year-old leftback has not featured since limping off halfway through the EFL Cup quarter-final against West Ham on November 30, but has worked his way back to fitness.
Wigan manager Warren Joyce was at United from 2008 until last November, when he left his role as reserves coach to take the Latics hotseat.
“I worked at the club with him for just a few months but it was enough to know he is a very nice man, a very passionate football man,” Mourinho said of Joyce. “He left a good situation in the club to try and go to what we call men’s football.”