LUHANSK, Ukraine, Sporting Alert – Jose Mourinho made several changes to his Manchester United starting lineup for today’s Europa League clash at Zorya Luhansk.
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The Portuguese manager welcomes back a fit-again Eric Bailly and the Ivorian centre-back returns to the starting XI to partner Daley Blind, who comes back into the team in the heart of the backline.
Also named in the starting squad are Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young with goalkeeper Sergio Ramero getting the nod ahead of regular first-choice David de Gea, who is on the bench.
Captain Wayne Rooney also returns to the team after missing the 1-1 clash with Everton in the English Premier League.
Back in the starting team as well is playmaker Juan Mata, who didn’t feature at Everton, while Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic also start.
Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are among the substitutes today for Manchester United.
The game will go forward, despite concerns over a frozen and patchy pitch at Chornomorets Stadium, which left Mourinho questioning EUFA’s decision to play final group matches in countries with severe winters at this time of the year.
Manchester United are currently second in Group A with nine points, one point behind leaders Fenerbahce.
A draw will guarantee the Premier League side a place in the last 32, but it can also qualify with a defeat if Feyenoord fail to beat Fenerbahce.
Manchester United and Zorya have met just before once in European competition, with the Red Devils coming away with a narrow 1-0 victory on Matchday Two.
Mourinho is expecting another tight game in Ukraine, but is confident his team will co out and get the job done.
Igor Levchenko comes in goal for Oleksiy Shevchenko in the Zorya goal.
Zorya: Levchenko, Sukhotskiy, Sivakov, Chaykovskiy, Petriak, Kharatin, Forster, Karavaev, Bezborodko, Ljubenovic, Opansenko. Subs: Shevchenko, Kulach, Lipartia, Paulinho, Grechyshkin, Bonaventure, Checher.
Manchester United: Romero, Young, Bailly, Rojo, Blind, Herrera, Pogba, Mata, Rooney, Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic. Subs: De Gea, Fosu-Mensah, Jones, Fellaini, Lingard, Martial, Rashford.
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