MANCHESTER, Sporting Alert — Manchester United look well set to lose key midfielder Paul Pogba for Sunday’s clash with Everton and Jose Mourinho is already drawing up his replacement.
Pogba was handed the captain’s armband in the Champions League Group A opener against FC Basel at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, but unfortunately lasted just 19 minutes after he suffered what seemed to be a hamstring injury.
The Frenchman who has made a bright start to the season, looks all set to spend some time on the sidelines with the injury, but an optimistic Mourinho believes he has a big enough squad to cope with the situation.
Asked if he could evaluate Pogba’s injury, Mourinho replied: “I don’t know [the extent]. I just know from experience it’s a muscular injury.
“In my experience, muscular injury stops you from playing for a few weeks, I think.
“It looks for me too [like a hamstring injury] but I haven’t spoken yet to the medical department.”
Mourinho’s said Pogba’s goalscoring replacement on Tuesday night, Marouane Fellaini, as well as Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick are all competent enough to play alongside Nemanja Matic in the central area against Everton.
“Squads are for this, squads are for injuries, squads are for suspensions,” the experienced boss said.
“We don’t cry with injuries. So if no Paul for Sunday, we have Herrera, we have Carrick, we have Fellaini and we have Matic.”
Manchester United made a winning return to Champions League football on Tuesday when the English Premier League leaders cruised to a 3-0 victory over FC Basel at Old Trafford.
Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford scored the goals for the Red Devils who moved to the top of Group A on goal difference.
Also in the group, CSKA Moscow came from a goal behind to beat Benfica on the road with Timur Zhamaletdinov netting the winner.
