Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has stated that a number of his top players could be unavailable for selection when the Red Devils take on Sevilla in midweek.
And perhaps the biggest setback is the likely absence of midfielder Paul Pogba. The French International did not feature in the FA Cup clash against Huddersfield Town due to illness and many reports stated that Pogba could also miss the Champions League tie. But the United fans were given a ray of hope as he returned to training on Sunday morning. Now it seems that things have gone south once again.
Mourinho has revealed that a number of his first-team players might not feature against Sevilla and the biggest name amongst them is Paul Pogba.
Mourinho said: “I didn’t rest anyone other than [David] De Gea,” he stressed. “Can we recover some of them for Wednesday? I think [Marcus] Rashford, [Ander] Herrera, [Antonio] Valencia have a chance.
“Paul Pogba? I don’t know. [Marcos] Rojo, [Phil] Jones, [Marouane] Fellaini, Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], I don’t think they have any chance.”
The absence of Rojo and Jones means that Eric Bailly will feature in central defence alongside Chris Smalling. Bailly made a brief appearance as a substitute during the Huddersfield game and this will be his first start since returning from injury.
Having said that though, Pogba’s absence will be a huge blow for Jose Mourinho.
If not Pogba then who will start in midfield alongside Nemanja Matic?
