Jose Mourinho has dismissed the suggestion that Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini’s injury concerns will have an impact on Manchester United’s clash with Liverpool.
Lukaku, who already has seven Premier League goals this season, missed Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Saturday with an ankle problem.
But the 24-year-old was a second-half substitute for Roberto Martinez’s side last night as Belgium capped off an impressive qualifying campaign with a 4-0 victory over Cyprus.
Lukaku scored after coming on from the bench and speaking ahead of the match, Mourinho said his presence in the Belgium team proved he must be fit.
‘If he plays tonight it’s because he recovers [from injury], Mourinho told Sky Sports. ‘It’s a very important match for them – they need the match to qualify so I just wait.
‘If he doesn’t play, I will play another one.’
Mourinho will definitely be without midfielder Marouane Fellaini at Anfield on Saturday but the Portuguese boss said his side cannot use injuries as an excuse.
Asked if Fellaini’s ligament problem was a blow to Manchester United, Mourinho responded: ‘No blow, no problem.
‘We don’t cry with injuries, we may cry with the process that leads to injures, but we don’t cry. We just trust the players that are going to help.’
The Red Devils have won six of their first seven games of the Premier League season and Mourinho says his preparations will not change for the trip to Liverpool.
‘It’s good to prepare without any added pressure or emotion,’ Mourinho said. ‘I have to act in a professional way, there are not any matches that are more important than others.
‘It would not be the right example to my players to prepare for Liverpool in a different way to say Huddersfield.’
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