David Newman
Following Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of rivals Man City on Sunday, manager Jose Mourinho was drawn on the absence of the injured Paul Pogba, and whether the Frenchman could have affected the outcome of the result.
Pogba played a major role in United’s remarkable comeback against City in the same fixture last season, in which Mourinho’s side fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.
Marouane Fellaini was recalled to the starting XI in place of the 22-year old World Cup winner on this occasion, but the Belgian midfielder was unable to impact the game much and his manager revealed afterward the Fellaini was not fully fit.
“It is not for me after defeat to speak about a player who is not here,’’ Mourinho told Sky Sports.
“Of course we missed him. It did affect our plan because Marouane Fellaini had to start. He is not in a condition to play 90 minutes. His effort was magnificent. But he is not in a position to play all 90 minutes.”
Mourinho explained before the game that Pogba played through an injury in the 2-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.