Following Man United’s comfortable 3-0 victory at home to Basel last night, Jose Mourinho confirmed Phil Jones and Eric Bailly will return to start at the heart of the United defense this weekend.
Mourinho last night opted for Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof who had little to deal with and showed no signs of weakness in keeping the Red Devils a clean sheet.
However, the Manchester Evening News report that the Portuguese manager will revert back to Jones and Bailly despite the pair suffering criticism after United’s frustrating 2-2 draw away to Stoke City last Saturday.
Antonio Valenica and Matteo Darmian were also left out of United’s defense last night but Mourinho did not give any indication as to whether they would return alongside Bailly and Jones.
Victor Lindelof has had a tricky start to life at Old Trafford since singing this summer, but the United boss praised the defenders ability to carry the ball out from deep positions last night. Mourinho stressed the importance of the Swede in games where United will play on the front foot against stubborn defensive sides such as Basel. The Red Devil’s boss believes the defender’s work between the lines is incredibly valuable for the team.
Man United face Everton on Sunday in a clash that will see their all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney return to Old Trafford for the first time since his summer move from United to the Toffees.