Jose Mourinho will be without Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba as Manchester United travel to face a manager-less Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
Manchester United are heavy favourites as they visit the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough, a team that has just parted ways with their manager Aitor Karanka and are set to play their first match without the Spaniard in the dugout.
Mourinho reflected on Pogba’s early return to the dugout after an injury scare in the second half against FC Rostov, in the pre-match conference.
“ Pogba’s injury was due to an accumulation of fatigue. He felt something in the first half and, in the second half, he immediately felt like he couldn’t carry on. Even a physical monster like him couldn’t carry on. But, of course, he was one of the players who never had a rest.”
“ He played every game. Even at Blackburn [in the Emirates FA Cup], he was on the bench and he played half-an-hour. I think the Monday night game with 10 men also paid a price. So Paul is paying the price.”
Jose Mourinho talked up his former number two, who was let go by Middlesbrough earlier in the week. The Portuguese highlighted his achievements while lamenting on his untimely departure, after all he had achieved with the club.
“ He saved the team. He takes the team to Wembley for the play-off final, then, the next year, he gets direct promotion and now he goes home. I’m sad, but that’s football now and we have to adapt.”
Other likely absentees for Manchester United include Ander Herrera, who is also serving his suspension, Wayne Rooney, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo.
Mourinho did not use Anthony Martial in the midweek, which could mean the Frenchman is likely to start in attack for the Red Devils. Also, Jesse Lingard could come into the picture if the Portuguese plans on resting either of Juan Mata or Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Middlesbrough have a host of injury troubles at the back, with Ben Gibson likely to have a tasking 90 minutes at hand, with the job of keeping the star-studded Manchester United attack at bay at the Riverside Stadium.
