Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has revealed that he will hand Chris Smalling and Ander Herrera a week off during the international break.
Both Smalling and Herrera played the full 90 minutes in United’s defeat at Chelsea on Sunday afternoon as Alvaro Morata’s second-half goal meant Manchester City extended their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
Several of Mourinho’s squad have jetted off to represent their respective countries during international break but neither Smalling or Herrera were selected.
Asked about United’s preparation for the side’s clash with Newcastle on November 18, Mourinho told MUTV: ‘The international break means the majority of the players fly now from London to their countries.
‘They all disappear and then we have a couple who aren’t selected for their national team, like [Chris] Smalling and [Ander] Herrera and they really deserve, after so many matches, to have a week off which I’m going to give them.’
Herrera believes the Red Devils are still capable of catching rivals City in the title race this season.
‘Now it’s the international break and some players will have rests, some players will have to play,’ the Spain midfielder following Sunday’s defeat.
‘But now we have to think about Newcastle because it’s still November, we still have a lot to play for and I’ve never seen a team winning the league in November.
‘We’re still second, eight points behind City but, in the Premier League, anything can happen and eight points, sometimes, is nothing.’
‘We cannot think now that we have lost the league because we still have a lot of games to play.’
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