The Red Devils head to Turkey needing a result to keep their Europa League challenge on track, but Jose Mourinho has a number of options when it comes to team selection.
Jose Mourinho has admitted that a shortage of numbers has affected his Manchester United squad selection for the visit to Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday night, but he insists that the competition remains a key target due to its free pass to the Champions League.
The inclusion of the Europa League winner in the main event next season, combined with United’s poor league form which sees it well off the pace of the top-four spots, brings far greater importance to the second-tier European tournament than the Portuguese would normally afford.
As such his injury-hit back line has been supplemented by the returning Phil Jones, who hasn’t featured for United in 10 months, but Mourinho will not want to force the England utility man into action on Thursday unless further ailments force his hand, and that could mean further central defense assignments for Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo.
Elsewhere, Mourinho could well head to the Sukru Saracoglu with a strong line-up due to the need to inject some confidence into his side. There could well be a recall for skipper Wayne Rooney just behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although there is no Michael Carrick on the trip as he prepares for a potential first league start of the campaign at Swansea on Sunday in place of the suspended Ander Herrera.
The Spaniard is likely to play a part in Turkey due to his absence from the weekend’s fixture, but compatriot Juan Mata may find himself rested in order to give important minutes to Anthony Martial in one of the wide attacking positions.
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