Jose Mourinho has explained why he did not make any substitutions during the 1-0 defeat to Juventus in the Champions League. The Reds were chasing the game after Paulo Dybala’s first-half effort, but the boss had limiting attacking options on the bench due to injury problems.
Tahith Chong, the talented Under-23s star, was included for the first time in a competitive matchday squad but Jose felt it was not the time to introduce the wiry winger for his debut.
With Alexis Sanchez unavailable due to injury and Marouane Fellaini also sidelined after picking up a problem with Belgium, the boss decided not to make any changes.
“Bear in mind Sanchez was in the stand,” said the manager. “Lingard was in the stand. Fellaini may have been in the stand or at home as I didn’t see him.
”The only really attacking option was a young 18-year-old lad who has never played in the first team before. Given the dynamic of the game, I didn’t feel it was appropriate to bring him on. You can’t expect a kid making his debut in a game like this to give you something like scoring a goal. So that’s why I didn’t make any changes on the pitch.
“I really missed Fellaini because when we are dominant, we are playing in the opponents’ half and the opponent closes the way they did, and they brought [Andrea] Barzagli as a third centre-back, Fellaini is a player that gives us different things. We missed him, but the boys gave everything and when the boys give everything and go until the last second I am always happy with them.”
The boss has been short of numbers since the recent international break and will hope for good news on the fitness front in the coming days.
“The injuries we have are always with the national team,” Jose complained. “It’s an injury for Alexis. Fellaini, Sergio Romero and Jesse Lingard – all with the national team.”
The Reds’ next outing is against Everton, in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon .