BURNLEY 0, MANCHESTER UNITED 2
- United without Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo – absent with cruciate knee ligament injuries
- Anthony Martial scores opening goal – costing United an £8.5m payment on his fee – after 21 minutes
- Wayne Rooney scores his 251st goal for Manchester United to double the lead after 39 minutes.
Goals by Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney ensured that Manchester United stayed in the chase for a top four finish in the Premier League following their defeat of Burnley at Turf Moor.
United battled an injury crisis, fatigue and the pressure that comes from being off the pace in the league and outside of the top four.
Reds boss Jose Mourinho praised his team’s professional performance but bemoaned the loss of two of his key players to season-ending injuries.
Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were confirmed as having both sustained significant knee ligament damage by manutd.com.
Mourinho told manutd.com: “We miss two very important players but we have other players.
“Injuries are normal in football. We don’t cry because of that. We cry because of big injuries to two friends and their surgeries and long-time recoveries.
“We cry because of that and everybody is obviously sad but at the same time we all have to be positive, to surround them with good feeling and they know they have in every one of us somebody that is with them.”
He also tried to play down the importance of the forthcoming Manchester derby, adding: “Now we have the same number of matches as City, one point less obviously, but they play one match a week till the end of the season.
“We have a Europa League Semi-Final that’s very important for us. It’ll be more difficult for us but we are going to try.
“We have a 25 percent chance of winning it but I think we have to put everything into the Europa League.
“Yes there is an objective to try and finish in the top four but my feeling is this club has to win trophies.”
Mourinho made a total of eight changes from the side that played for two hours against Anderlecht on Thursday.
Surviving the squad rotation was Jesse Lingard, Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba. Captain Wayne Rooney was drafted for only his second start in 19 games alongside the recalled Anthony Martial who played in his preferred central striking position.
Rooney and Marouane Fellaini were denied by Tom Heaton early on before Robbie Brady’s cross was cleared by Rooney who then started a swift United counter attack that Martial continued before exchanging passes with Ander Herrera and sweeping the ball past Heaton.
Wayne Rooney had a penalty appeal turned down after he was shoved off the ball by Joey Barton but United’s captain had the last laugh.
He poached the loose ball after Martial’s initial shot was blocked by Heaton in the 39th minute.
Martial tested Heaton again in the second half while ensuring Burnley didn’t get a single shot on target, ensuring that United joined City and Liverpool in a three way fight for two spots in the race for Champions League football next season.
Manchester United have two paths to Champions League qualification for next season
The Reds still have their Champions League destiny in their own hands, with a Europa League Semi-Final against Celta Vigo to come as well as a more unlikely scenario where it’s still possible for United to finish fourth in the League.
It would require the decimated Reds to beat every remaining opponent in their six remaining league fixtures – no easy task when you consider that they have trips to Southampton, Arsenal and Spurs to come and tough home games with in-form Crystal Palace and relegation strugglers Swansea City.
Most importantly they must start the run with Thursday’s trip across town to face Manchester City.
Victory at the Etihad on Thursday would enable United to leapfrog City back into the coveted top four.
Liverpool’s defeat at home to Palace on Sunday only added to Mourinho’s dilemma – unable to give up on the Premier League and stricken with injuries, United’s season will probably end with every game counting towards the Portuguese’s target of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.