Jose Mourinho will be without Phil Jones in the Premier League for the first time this season when Manchester United host Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Manchester United will look to enter yet another international break at the top of the Premier League table when they host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Saturday. But, Jose Mourinho’s job has been made slightly tricky with several Manchester United players on the treatment table this week.
Indeed, the Portuguese manager will be without as many as seven first-team players ahead of the visit of Roy Hodgson’s men on Saturday. Phil Jones is the latest player on an ever growing injury list while Antonio Valencia is doubtful for the game as well.
Mourinho confirmed the same in his pre-match press conference, claiming that Jones and club captain Michael Carrick will not be a part of his matchday squad against the Eagles due to unspecified injuries, while Valencia will likely be assessed ahead of the match. Marouane Fellaini (knock) is also unavailable.
The boss confirms Michael Carrick and Phil Jones remain unavailable for Saturday’s game. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/6HsPfZwwG7
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 29, 2017
“They [Carrick and Jones] are out. They were out and tomorrow some will be out. What I’m saying is that from all the injuries we had, I hope that I can have some players available for tomorrow. We have to train and make decisions after training [today].”
When asked if Valencia will be fit for Saturday’s game, Mourinho was confident, but said that the final decision will be taken after training. “Maybe. We have to train but, maybe, yes.”
Mourinho also provided an update on Paul Pogba, the status of whose injury has been changed to long-term as he put the French midfielder in the same bracket as Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who are both due out until the end of the year.
“We have to train and make decisions after training,” says the boss. “I hope some of the players that couldn’t play in Moscow can recover.” pic.twitter.com/safealRoFp
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 29, 2017
“He’s injured. He cannot play tomorrow and it’s not an injury that I can have the hope like I can have with Jones or Antonio Valencia. With them, I have the hope to see them training and to have a positive answer. For long-term injuries, I don’t speak about them, so Ibra, Pogba, Rojo and these players, I don’t think about them.”
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson’s task doesn’t get any easier on Saturday, with six key first-team players unavailable for the trip to Old Trafford.
Christian Benteke (knee), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (thigh) and James Tomkins (illness) have joined Wilfried Zaha and Connor Wickham (both knee) on the sidelines. Timothy Fosu-Mensah is ineligible to play against his parent club and will be unavailable as well.
