Headache for Mourinho! Up to 9 players set to miss clash with Liverpool

Headache for Mourinho! Up to 9 players set to miss clash with Liverpool

Posted on December 14, 2018 by BoluNews_Sports 

Jose Mourinho is relying on his Manchester United players to lay their bodies on the line so he is not without up to nine of them for Sunday’s visit to bitter rivals Liverpool.

The United boss was mulling over the injury crisis as he went out for an evening meal in the city centre ahead of this weekend’s Anfield showdown. Despite planning to make changes for the Champions League tie in Valencia, Mourinho insisted after a 2-1 defeat that some of them were forced on him due to injury. Marcos Rojo went off at half-time at the Mestalla, and has already been ruled out of the trip to Anfield along with Alexis Sanchez and Victor Lindelof.

But Mourinho, who has questioned the character and courage of his players in the past, is hopeful that several others will make themselves available to take on the Premier League leaders. Chris Smalling is understood to be confident of playing after facing Arsenal and Fulham last week with a pain-killing injection for a fractured bone in his left foot. Luke Shaw tweaked a nerve in his back in the build-up to the Fulham game and was unable to take a place on the bench, but could return to the squad after missing United’s trip to Spain as a precaution.

Anthony Martial’s ongoing groin problem is being monitored amid fears it could develop into a hernia. The Frenchman missed the games against Fulham and Valencia because he cannot play more than one game a week, but Mourinho will want his attacking threat against Liverpool if at all possible. Scott McTominay was withdrawn from the squad to play Valencia after picking up a knock in training, and Mourinho revealed that he also has injury concerns over full-backs Diogo Dalot and Matteo Darmian.

It would not be entirely surprising if Mourinho was exaggerating his problems to avoid further criticism for fielding a weakened team against Valencia. United failed to capitalise on Juventus’s shock defeat to Young Boys and take first place in Group H, missing out on the opportunity of a more favourable draw in the last 16. Of course, Mourinho could also be trying to deceive Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp with a little kidology in the build-up to the Anfield clash. Only last week, the Portuguese coach claimed to have a defensive injury crisis for the game against Arsenal only to start the match with five defenders on the pitch and Valencia on the bench.

Mourinho is set to give an update on his team news on Friday although he will want to keep Klopp guessing until as late as possible on Sunday. United go to Anfield stung by the manner of their defeat at the Mestalla after the two encouraging performances against Arsenal and Fulham. ‘We are disappointed because, obviously, it’s more painful knowing Juventus lost and if we’d have won we would have finished first in the group’ said midfielder Juan Mata. Overall we qualified and that was the most important thing. But we would have loved to have been first in the group. We have to wait and see who we play against, and we have to believe that we can beat whoever it is.

‘It’s going to be a difficult team because the teams that qualified are very good. But we are Manchester United. It doesn’t matter if we play good or bad, we have always to keep believing and respect this club and the history and the belief that everyone who belongs to United has. It’s a very busy month and we have very important games coming, especially on Sunday, But I don’t think that’s an excuse. As a football player, you focus on the game that you are playing and try to give your best. We were already qualified but it was still a Champions League game against a good team. I know it is difficult but we have to keep going and especially with what we have coming on Sunday, we need to be ready for that.’