Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho fears playing Wayne Rooney — in case he has a stinker against Zorya Luhansk
Rooney is in line to be recalled but the Special One will only select him if fully fit to protect him from fans' wrath
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JOSE MOURINHO fears risking Wayne Rooney — in case he has another stinker.
The Manchester United boss was ready to play his under-fire club captain in tonight’s Europa League tie against Ukrainian minnows Zorya Luhansk.
But Rooney has had a back problem and Mourinho does not want to play him unless he is fully fit because of the criticism the player might receive.
Mourinho said: “He did just a little bit of the session on Monday. He had a back problem.
“So today was the first time he had a training session with the other players and today it was a training session where the intensity and complexity is obviously reducing because we have a game.
“I was completely convinced of playing him from the beginning with this situation in the last couple of days but I am not sure if I do that because of the situation you created with him.
“He can’t afford to have a performance that is not really good.
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“Because I am here to protect him and not to put him in difficult situations, I have to analyse whether the best thing for him is to start the game if he is not totally ready for it.
“So I am going to discuss that with him and the medical staff and decide whether he starts or is on the bench.”
Mourinho axed Rooney for Saturday’s 4-1 crushing of Premier League champions Leicester and Roo’s long-term future in the first team is now under serious threat.
It makes this another big call for the Special One, who does not believe he can afford to take any risks after United lost their group opener at Feyenoord.
Unlike in Holland two weeks ago, Mourinho aims to field his strongest side.
He added: “To be honest, I think we have to win.
“If we don’t win we have four matches and we would have to win all of the last four matches, which is difficult.”
Left-back Luke Shaw will not be selected because he is ill with a fever.
Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is fit again after missing the last four games with injury but the Armenian is being saved for Sunday’s Premier League visit of Stoke.
French striker Anthony Martial has recovered from calf and ankle problems.
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