Man United ‘in trouble’ with injuries, says Mourinho

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s mounting injury problems mean they are “in trouble” going into the season’s decisive weeks, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho lost Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimiovic to injury during Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final win over Anderlecht, the pair joining Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Juan Mata on the sidelines.

Mourinho hopes Wayne Rooney will quickly rediscover match sharpness following his return from an ankle injury and believes Mata could play again despite previously suggesting his season was over.

“We are in trouble,” Mourinho told reporters at Old Trafford.

“In this moment, Eric Bailly played six matches in a row — 540 minutes in a row. We lost Marcos Rojo. We don’t have Jones, we don’t have Smalling. We are in trouble.

“Now we lose Zlatan too. But in attack, we have options. Rooney is coming. Let’s see if Mata can also return before the end of the season. Let’s see what happens.”

Rooney has not played since United’s 0-0 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion on April 1 and had become a peripheral figure even before then, but Mourinho indicated he could now play an important role.

Smalling, Jones and Rojo’s injuries leave Bailly and Daley Blind as United’s only fit senior centre-backs.