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Will field best side against Everton: Jose Mourinho

"I don’t know about Pogba," Mourinho said when asked about the midfielder’s return to action.

Will field best side against Everton: Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho (Photo: AFP)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that he will field his strongest possible XI when Everton visit Old Trafford for their Premier League fixture on Tuesday, a statement on the club website read.

United, who were held to a stalemate by West Bromwich Albion on the weekend, will welcome back Ander Herrera and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from suspension in a welcome boost ahead of their crunch clash with Ronald Koeman’s men.

Mourinho seemingly confirmed in his post-match press conference that should results not go United’s way against Everton and later, against Sunderland, he will prioritise the Europa League instead of the English Premier League.

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"Against Everton, we’ll try to play our best team and try to win the match," said Mourinho. "After Everton, we go to Sunderland with the same perspective. After Sunderland, comes the Europa League and then I don’t know.”

He further elaborated on his statement by adding "I go with mathematics. Until it’s mathematically impossible, we keep trying and, because this week is a week without the Europa League, we have nothing to think about Europe so this week is easy from the focus point of view.”

There is a strong possibility that United’s top goalscorer by a country mile this season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, will start Tuesday’s game as United seem to be toothless in attack without the Swede. Mourinho, however felt that "We had matches here with Zlatan where we drew. He missed a penalty in the game against Bournemouth and missed chances like other people did too. 

"I cannot say now that if Zlatan and Juan Mata had played on Saturday, we would have won the game. I cannot say that at all. What I can say is Jones and Smalling wouldn’t play better than Bailly and Rojo did and Pogba and Herrera couldn’t play better than what Fellaini and Carrick did.”

"I don’t know about Pogba," he said when asked about the midfielder’s return to action. 

United are in the midst of a late-season injury crisis and the Portuguese confirmed that Juan Mata is not coming back anytime soon. 

“I think Mata is out for a long time, Jones and Smalling for a long time, but I cannot say on Pogba. I cannot say he is ready for Tuesday because I don’t know. I don’t think he is such a long-term injury like the others,” clarified Mourinho.

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