Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes that the purchase of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred could provide a real technical boost to his side’s midfield. The Portuguese manager has experimented with several selections in the middle of the park, but the former Chelsea boss’ aim appears to be bringing the Brazilian in alongside Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba as the season comes into view.
“People like Nemanja Matic, Marouane Fellaini, Paul Pogba, even Ander Herrera, are physical and strong midfielders,” said Mourinho in quotes carried by Manutd.com. “We think that players like Fred, and Andreas Pereira, are more technical, passing and playing in short spaces and maybe connecting with the attacking players.
“There is no successor for Michael Carrick. We thought Fred could be an important player for us but let’s wait.”
The manager also had news of another of his World Cup latecomers, with Marcos Rojo exiting the tournament at the last-16 stage with Argentina after a 4-2 defeat to Paul Pogba’s France, but the former Sporting Lisbon appears to be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Mourinho was asked if Rojo would be the next player to link up with the squad, and advised: “I don’t know. He [Marcos] is with the medical department. [I have been] in contact since the World Cup, where he had some physical problem and the medical department has to make a decision if he joins us here or if he goes to Manchester to recover and wait for the team to be back.”
Rojo’s absence isn’t a big problem for Mourinho, given that he has several options in the centre of defence and with Phil Jones and Victor Lindelof set to return from their exertions for England and Sweden this summer. The manager also has Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy Fosu-Mensah on the current tour of the United States, both of who can be utilised as centre backs.
