Manchester United injury list frustrates Jose Mourinho; boss has 'no idea' over some international stars' fate

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Jesse Lingard will undergo a late fitness test ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Everton as the midfielder nears a return from groin injury.

But Jose Mourinho is refusing to take any risks with the England international, who he claims rushed his comeback after the World Cup.

United need Lingard back as soon as possible as Mourinho contends with a mounting injury list.

On Friday he bemoaned injuries suffered by Alexis Sanchez, Marouane Fellaini, Diogo Dalot and Scott McTominay while on international duty.

And while he admits he’s desperate to get Lingard back, he revealed the 25-year-old’s return has already been delayed by attempts to speed up his recovery.

Lingard has not featured since the EFL Cup defeat to Derby.
Getty Images

“He came from the World Cup with that problem,” he said. “He thought, wrongly, that the holiday period would bring things to normality. Then he thought wrongly that to keep working or start working would improve and then he felt in an impossible situation to play football.

“Now he’s going back to do the work to try and be 100 percent and in this moment he’s almost there. Because of the team’s needs, can he help us in the next match? That is the question we have to answer tomorrow or if we wait for one more week of stability. He’s almost there.”

Mourinho was left frustrated by the number of players who returned from the international break with injuries – and on Friday aimed a thinly-veiled swipe at some countries for their treatment of his stars.

Luke Shaw and Nemanja Matic were sent home for treatment on injuries by England and Serbia respectively during the break. And Mourinho claims others could have followed that route.

AFP/Getty Images

He said: “We played against Newcastle and we go to the national team period in a good situation and then after two weeks we lost Dalot in Portugal, Fellaini in Belgium, Alexis with Chile, McTominay with Scotland.

“And some of them the national teams were very professional with us and send the players back and we could start the process early.

"But some of them wouldn’t and they kept the players and we didn’t even know the dimension and nature of injuries.

"So when the players arrived two days before Chelsea we have no idea what is going on.

“But we try to solve problems step by step and if Jesse can be available and give us some help, McTominay is normally in condition and we have to wait some more for those other players.”

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