Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho gives positive update on Romelu Lukaku’s injury by revealing he will be out for just a week
There were fears that the Belgian sustained a serious head injury after being carried off on a stretcher against Southampton as the weekend
MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho expects Romelu Lukaku to be fit to face Stoke after revealing the striker is being rested for a week.
The 24-year-old looked to have picked up a serious head injury after clashing with Southampton midfielder Wesley Hoedt on Saturday.
He was carried off the Old Trafford pitch on a stretcher with an oxygen mask after the ninth minute collision with the Dutch international.
Lukaku subsequently missed the clash against his former side Everton at Goodison Park on New Year's Day, while he is also due to miss the FA Cup third round contest against Derby on Friday.
Up until the match against the Toffees, the Belgian international had played in every Premier League match of the season, netting on ten occasions.
Mourinho said of his star striker to Sky Sports: "I would say a week [out for Lukaku]. It's nothing really important - just a little protection, but no problem."
The Red Devils are also without maverick forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the next month after picking up a knock in the 2-2 draw with Burnley on Boxing Day.
Speaking on whether United will need to adapt their style of in the absence of the duo, Mourinho added: "Of course.
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"If we don't have a player like Lukaku or a normal replacement like Zlatan, we have to play with the qualities we have, so we have to forget that we have to play without a target man because we don't have [one].
"We have what we have. We trust the players. The players are giving everything like they have done from the first minute of the season.
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"No Lukaku and no Ibrahimovic means we have no no.9 as you normally call a target man that we usually play [with], so we have to change."
Anthony Martial was trusted by Mourinho to lead the line against Everton, and he netted the opener with a superb second half strike.
United face the Potters on January 15.