Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo suffer injuries


Jose Mourinho said he was not feeling optimistic about the injuries sustained by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo as Manchester United secured a place in the Europa League semi-finals.

Thursday's quarter-final second leg against Anderlecht at Old Trafford, which United won 2-1 in extra time on the night for a 3-2 triumph on aggregate, saw striker Ibrahimovic hobble off after landing awkwardly towards the end of normal time and defender Rojo depart on a stretcher in the first half.

Asked about the condition of the pair, Mourinho said: "I want to wait, but my feeling is not good for both.

"I want to wait and try to be optimistic, but I am not."

Rojo's injury comes at a time when United already have Phil Jones (foot) and Chris Smalling (knee) sidelined.

When it was put to him that he was facing a significant lack of options at centre-back, Mourinho mentioned Daley Blind – Rojo's replacement from the bench - before suggesting Jones and Smalling needed to be "brave".

Mourinho, who earlier this season made an apparent criticism of Smalling's pain threshold, said: "We have Daley Blind, who has experience in the position, and I think it is time for Jones and Smalling to be brave - to risk.

"Because for the team you have to do everything, that is the way I think. You cannot do miracles, so miracles I don't expect, but they have to try to do everything to accelerate the process.

"They have injuries, and even with a crazy mentality, they cannot play Sunday (at Burnley in the Premier League).

"But with a special spirit, you can (come back) sooner than expected. So instead of mid-May, it could be the beginning of May, this kind of acceleration of the process."

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