Man Utd team news vs Valencia: Jose Mourinho is set to rest his key stars for the game against Valencia in Champions League.
Manchester United have qualified for the round-of-16 of the Champions League. In their final game of the group stages, the side will face Valencia, who have been relegated to Europa League.
Jose Mourinho has decided to rest his key first-team stars for the clash in Mestalla. The manager confirmed after the game against Fulham that Paul Pogba and Andreas Pereira will be among the starters for the game.
Pogba suffered a decline in form since returning to the side after the international break last month. He was kept on the bench for the entirety of the game against Fulham, but Mourinho insisted that the midfielder would need to prove himself against Valencia to make his way into first team again.
Andreas Pereira hasn’t started a game for United since August, while Sergio Romero is also expected to make his first Champions League appearance of the season.
Man Utd team news vs Valencia:
David De Gea and Nemanja Matic have been rested for the trip to Valencia. Mourinho confirmed that the 17-year old James Garner will be on the bench for the game.
Victor Lindelof and Anthony Martial are out of the game as they recover from the injury, while Smalling misses the game after he reportedly suffered from a fractured foot.
Jose on Mason Greenwood and James Garner: “They will not start the match. Garner will be on the bench and Greenwood is an extra player in case we have a problem.” #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 11, 2018
Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones are the three centre-backs available for the game.
Mason Greenwood was also rewarded for his stunning performances with the U23s, and has been included in the squad. However, the manager stated that the youngster will travel as an extra player.
“We have players that need to play and players that deserve to play,” Jose says. “We left some players in Manchester but we will play with a team of players from the first team only.” #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 11, 2018
“No, they don’t start. Garner will be on the bench and Mason is the extra player,” Mourinho said about the young duo.
The Manchester United manager also talked about Paul Pogba during his press conference last night, and stated that he expects the midfielder to have a ‘good impact’ on the game.
Jose on @PaulPogba: “I’m looking for him to play well and to have a good impact on the game and on the team. I hope he — and others that are normally in the team — can have a good impact.” #MUFC pic.twitter.com/xVodh7Hrwu
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 11, 2018
“I am looking for him to play well, and for him to have a good impact on the game and the team. I hope that people like Paul and a couple of others that are normally in the team, I hope they can have a good impact on the team,” Mourinho said.
