No rest for the wicked, Jose Mourinho warns Romelu Lukaku as United wait on Zlatan Ibrahimovic return

Until the Swedish forward returns from injury, United boss Mourinho said he has no intention of resting his in-form striker

Ian Whittell
Friday 29 September 2017 22:27 BST
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Romelu Lukaku has started the season at a phenomenal pace
Romelu Lukaku has started the season at a phenomenal pace

Jose Mourinho has warned his prolific centre-forward Romelu Lukaku that he will be required to start every game for Manchester United, at least until Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned from injury and has regained full match fitness.

Lukaku, 24, has been a revelation, for club and country, so far this season and has scored 14 goals in 11 games for United and Belgium.

But, as he prepared for an easy-looking fixture against struggling Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, the last thing on Mourinho’s mind was the possibility of resting Lukaku, who will join his national squad after the game.

Mourinho said: “Look, in here, without Zlatan we cannot rotate the striker, especially because Marcus Rashford is playing also in other positions.

“So until the moment we have Zlatan we cannot think about giving rest to our number nine, the same way we give in other positions.

“We cannot do that. Belgium is Roberto’s responsibility and it’s his decision to play him or not to play him.”

That hint to Belgian manager Roberto Martinez about possibly resting Lukaku for forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Cyprus was obvious, even if Mourinho was not forcing the point.

He said: “It’s Roberto’s responsibility. I cannot, professionally speaking, say do this or do that, You know. It’s Roberto’s responsibility.”

Lukaku’s goals at the start of the month helped Belgium become the first European nation to qualify for next summer’s Finals in Russia and, given the relatively modest opposition, Mourinho could be forgiven for hoping his star forward will be left out of the forthcoming fixtures.

But, should he play in both games, there is the real prospect of Lukaku having started 14 games in two months by the time he returns to Old Trafford in a little under a fortnight - an extremely hefty workload in the modern game, at least for an attacking player.

The only game Lukaku has not started for United was the Carabao Cup tie with Burton, although he was even named to the substitutes’ bench for that.

Aside from the visit to Swansea in the next round of the League Cup, the only prospect of a break for Lukaku, therefore, will come when Ibrahimovic returns to action.

Mourinho has stubbornly refused to discuss the Swedish veteran’s rehabilitation from knee ligament surgery although even the most optimistic estimates put his potential return date in December.

Lukaku should expect to be called upon week in, week out, Mourinho has said 

In the meantime, Mourinho has praised Lukaku for his professionalism and his development over his years with Chelsea, West Brom and, now, United.

“I think every step in his career he got it, he grabbed it with both hands,” said Mourinho.

“Since his first loan to West Bromwich Albion, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, fighting for his evolution.

“He was very strong in his desire to be playing in a team with other objectives now, with Champions League football, it was always his dream to come to this level and since he arrived I don’t think he thinks about another thing other than in his success.

“So he works hard, he rests, he has a great professional life outside the football pitch. He has ambitions, he enjoys.

“So I think he’s a global evolution. I wouldn’t be fair, I wouldn’t say that every step in his career with different managers, with different fellow players, with different teams, is not contributing to what he is now. And now of course I think Manchester United is a different level of expectation and he’s coping well.”

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