ST ETIENNE 0, MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Europa League Round of 32 – United win 4-0 on aggregate)
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan scores 16th minute goal but goes off with suspected hamstring injury
- Michael Carrick joins him on sidelines after calf strain
- Eric Bailly sent off during second half for 2 bookings in 185 seconds
- Wayne Rooney not in the squad amidst rumours of a possible lucrative transfer to China
United manager Jose Mourinho is counting the cost of fielding a strong side to ensure victory over St Etienne whose early promise in the febrile atmosphere of the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard didn’t overly trouble the Reds.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored the winner in the 16th minute, his 6th of the season, after neat work by Juan Mata but limped off with a suspected hamstring injury after just 25 minutes.
He was joined on the sidelines by Michael Carrick after an hour with a calf strain.
United boss Jose Mourinho expressed his concerns about both missing the ECL Cup Final in little more than three days but offered up Marouane Fellaini and Bastian Schweinsteiger as capable replacements for Sunday’s Wembley date while Ander Herrera, who was suspended for the game in France, is expected to return.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Michael Carrick injury doubts for EFL Cup Final
Mourinho told manutd.com: “I think they are both out [of the final] but this is based on my experience, not on my medical knowledge and not based on tests and what they have to do tomorrow.
“If it’s a calf, a hamstring, even a minor injury, I think out.”
Eric Bailly’s sending off for two second half yellow cards in the space of 185 seconds made life more complicated for the Reds, with winger Romain Hamouma criticised for diving by Mourinho.
The Ivorian will be missing for the first leg of United’s next tie but Mourinho was sanguine, adding: “[Marcos] Rojo came in and did well and hopefully [Phil] Jones will be back soon.”
United will discover their Round of 16 opponents on Friday February 24, but they already know that they will be visiting Chelsea in the FA Cup on Monday March 13 either side of Europa League ties on Thursday, March 9 and Thursday March 16.
Mourinho admitted he would prefer a trip to a relatively local side like Lyon over a long haul flight to a more far flung destination such as Krasnodar for the next tie.
He said: “At the moment we don’t know who we play against, nor where the first and second matches are being played.”
But the Portuguese promised to respect the FA Cup game at Stamford Bridge, saying: “I cannot play against Chelsea with the Under-21s, like Manchester City did. We’re Manchester United. I cannot do that. I don’t do that to the FA Cup.”
He added: “I will have to make some rotation but some of the boys will have to play all consecutive matches.”