Man United vs Celta Vigo: Five takeaways from Jose's pre-match press conference

Aditya Devavrat 23:47 03/05/2017
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  • Manchester United seemed to be heading into the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo facing a full-blown injury crisis which could derail their campaign, not to mention their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

    However, Jose Mourinho has received some good news in the last few days with first Juan Mata making it back into the squad for Sunday’s draw against Swansea, and then Paul Pogba more or less being confirmed fit for tomorrow night’s game.

    And he took to the podium in Vigo for his pre-match press conference with more good news on the injury front, although he’s still worried about the state of his squad going into the final six matches – possibly seven if they make the Europa League final – of the season.

    Here are the key takeaways from the United manager’s pre-match press conference.

    EUROPA LEAGUE OVER TOP FOUR

    Jose Mourinho has waffled on about this. As recently as a month ago Mourinho was all but guaranteeing that the Europa League would be prioritised. But wins over Chelsea and Burnley made a top-four finish more likely, leading Jose to say the team would continue fighting on both fronts.

    On Wednesday, however, and with United having dropped points in their last two Premier League matches, it was fairly clear that there is now a clear pecking order in terms of competitions.

    “Thinking about us as a team, winning this competition would be a good achievement and would allow us to be back in the Champions League,” Mourinho said.

    “If we have to rest players next weekend (against Arsenal) then we are going to do that.”

    Mourinho also said that if United did qualify for the final, there’s a strong chance players would be rested for the last Premier League match of the season – more evidence that the Europa League is now the top priority.

    SMALLING, JONES RESPOND TO JOSE’S BARBS

    Having to deal with a threadbare defence over the past month, Mourinho has become increasingly insistent that Chris Smalling and Phil Jones should do all they could to be fit for the last few weeks of the season.

    If asking injured players to rush back seemed harsh, this didn’t bother Mourinho. Now, Smalling and Jones are both available for selection, having trained on Wednesday.

    Whether they’re fully fit is still to be seen, but given that at one point it seemed Mourinho would go into this match with no fit senior centre-back, the duo’s response to his challenge will no doubt please the manager.

    INJURY SITUATION GETTING BETTER?

    It’s not just Smalling and Jones – Paul Pogba is also back, while the return of Juan Mata seems to have especially delighted the manager.

    “He is experienced, he is one of the few players that has played European semi finals and finals,” Mourinho said, before sounding a note of caution.

    “The only risk is he cannot play 90 minutes but that is the risk of if he starts, does he finish. If he comes from the bench no problem for him to play. he is selected and he can perfectly make a contribution.”

    BAILLY IS FIRST-CHOICE FOR MORE REASONS THAN ONE

    Jose Mourinho’s admiration for Eric Bailly goes far beyond the fact that the 23-year-old has established himself as United’s best defender this season.

    “Bailly is ready to play. He is the kind of personality that fights against every problem it is impossible.”

    With that statement, Mourinho made it clear that Bailly embodies exactly what the Portuguese looks for from his players.

    Quality on the pitch is one thing, and Bailly has shown plenty of that, but it this fighting spirit that is why the young defender has quickly become one of Mourinho’s favourites.

    EUROPA LEAGUE A WORTHY ACHIEVEMENT FOR UNITED

    There will be those who say that United should never have been in the Europa League in the first place, and Jose Mourinho will count himself among them.

    But he knows that the trophy offers a unique opportunity for the club.

    “It’s the only competition that Manchester United as a club has never won. It would be great to close this cycle and say we are a club that won every single competition in the football world.”

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