Early team news: Arsenal v Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has told MUTV he doesn’t know if Nemanja Matic can play for Manchester United at Arsenal, but the midfielder will travel with the squad to the Emirates Stadium.
Matic was substituted after 55 minutes of Tuesday’s 4-2 win at Watford and Mourinho revealed after the game that the Serbian had a muscular problem.
However, the summer signing from Chelsea still has a chance of continuing his unbroken run of starts in the Premier League, as the Reds look to cut Manchester City's lead back to five points before the Blues host West Ham United on Sunday.
"I don’t know if he can play," Mourinho said on Friday. "He’s travelling with the team, he’s going to try and hopefully he can, but I cannot guarantee he is ready."
During the subsequent press conference, Mourinho was asked about the fitness of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, who have both sat out the last four games. "He is not available," was the manager's response on both counts. Marouane Fellaini, who was not mentioned in the Friday afternoon briefing, also missed the midweek victory at Vicarage Road through injury.
However, the summer signing from Chelsea still has a chance of continuing his unbroken run of starts in the Premier League, as the Reds look to cut Manchester City's lead back to five points before the Blues host West Ham United on Sunday.
"I don’t know if he can play," Mourinho said on Friday. "He’s travelling with the team, he’s going to try and hopefully he can, but I cannot guarantee he is ready."
During the subsequent press conference, Mourinho was asked about the fitness of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, who have both sat out the last four games. "He is not available," was the manager's response on both counts. Marouane Fellaini, who was not mentioned in the Friday afternoon briefing, also missed the midweek victory at Vicarage Road through injury.
United's next game after the Arsenal assignment is the UEFA Champions League home game against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday, when the Reds only need to avoid a heavy defeat to progress.
Asked by reporters if that would affect his selection plans for this weekend, Mourinho replied: "I think I would always try to play the best possible team, even if the Champions League match was a must-win match.
"I would forget it and go one game at a time. I would go for the most important game now, which is the next one, tomorrow. I say it's difficult enough for you to be not focused and thinking about other things."
Asked by reporters if that would affect his selection plans for this weekend, Mourinho replied: "I think I would always try to play the best possible team, even if the Champions League match was a must-win match.
"I would forget it and go one game at a time. I would go for the most important game now, which is the next one, tomorrow. I say it's difficult enough for you to be not focused and thinking about other things."
The derby visit from league leaders Manchester City is also on the horizon but Mourinho insists he's only focusing on the task immediately ahead of him, just like a tennis icon was told to do in the 1980 men's singles final at Wimbledon.
"I play a game at a time and I think it's the way to do it," he said. "Yesterday I was watching an interesting movie – Bjorn Borg v John McEnroe – and Bjorn's coach was telling him that all the time: one point at a time, think just about one point, and I tell my players [to] think just about the game. I always say this.
"It doesn't matter what comes after, it doesn't matter what happened before. It's just this game, so now it's Arsenal. We don't think how many points we are in front of them, how many points we are behind the leader. We don't think about that, just Arsenal."
"I play a game at a time and I think it's the way to do it," he said. "Yesterday I was watching an interesting movie – Bjorn Borg v John McEnroe – and Bjorn's coach was telling him that all the time: one point at a time, think just about one point, and I tell my players [to] think just about the game. I always say this.
"It doesn't matter what comes after, it doesn't matter what happened before. It's just this game, so now it's Arsenal. We don't think how many points we are in front of them, how many points we are behind the leader. We don't think about that, just Arsenal."
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