Juan Mata a doubt for Manchester United's tour games against Manchester City and Real Madrid after suffering ankle injury
- Manchester United beat Real Sal Lake 2-1 in Utah on Monday evening
- Juan Mata limped off, clearly unhappy with a challenge from Sebastian Saucedo
- Team-mate Antonio Valencia took retribution with an ugly tackle from behind
- Valencia was sent off after Jose Mourinho refused to take him off
Juan Mata could miss Manchester United's next two tour games against Manchester City and Real Madrid after suffering an ankle injury that triggered a bizarre turn of events in Utah.
Mata limped off, clearly unhappy with a challenge from Sebastian Saucedo, and his United team-mate Antonio Valencia took retribution with an ugly tackle from behind on the Real Salt Lake midfielder.
While Saucedo — who later left the Rio Tinto Stadium on crutches — received lengthy treatment, American referee Allen Chapman warned Jose Mourinho to take off Valencia or the Ecuador international would be sent off.
Juan Mata of Manchester United lies injured during the pre-season win over Real Salt Lake
Mata could miss United's next two games against Manchester City and Real Madrid
When Mourinho stubbornly refused the referee's request and a similar plea from Real coach Mike Petke, Valencia was shown a red card more than two minutes after committing the offence.
Mourinho said: 'I think the delay was because the referee asked me to change the player and I didn't because I don't agree with the card.
'Saucedo, I think is the name of the boy, was really aggressive in the second half. Some other actions were a bit dangerous.
'It's young people with enthusiasm playing against Manchester United, but it's a friendly match and it's a different mentality.'
Petke approached Mourinho and urged him to replace Valencia because he did not want his team to play against 10 men, but he insisted that Saucedo did not mean to hurt Mata.
Antonio Valencia was sent off for fouling Sebastian Semedo but United could have kept 11 men
'I want my guys to get a real game against one of the best in the world, so if he feels that way he has got a hell of a lot more experience than me,' said Petke.
'I don't think there was an intent with the Mata thing and I think that was a red card with what happened with Valencia — with all due respect to my mentor and my favourite manager, Mourinho.'
Mata was on United's flight back to their Los Angeles training base straight after the game, but he is a doubt for the Manchester derby in Houston in the early hours of Friday morning and the clash with Real Madrid in Santa Clara at the weekend.
'Mata has a big ankle but I hope nothing important,' said Mourinho. 'A few days, a week maybe.'
United manager Jose Mourinho was told he could substitute Valencia off, but did not
Mourinho gives an official a piece of his mind during the fiery friendly
The United boss also paid tribute to new £75million signing Romelu Lukaku whose first goal for United proved decisive after Henrikh Mkhitaryan had cancelled out Real's first-half lead.
'I think it's just nice for him, it's not important for me,' said Mourinho. 'Before he scored the goal, I told him: 'I love everything you do on the pitch — don't be worried about scoring or not scoring'.
'He gets behind people, works and presses well. I like everything he does and he's now a top striker. The goal is just a detail, not important.'
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