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Thursday 5:41 PM GMT
Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan needs to be protected by
Jose Mourinho
Man Utd star Henrikh Mkhitaryan is vital against Chelsea and Tottenham
and needs Jose Mourinho to help him regain top form.
By Alex Porter
There was little surprise when the board went up after 83 minutes
ofManchester United'sChampions Leaguetie against Benfica andJuan
Mata's number was up.
The diminutive Spaniard is yet to complete the full 90 so far this season.
It has been a feature of the season so far to see Mata depart ahead
ofHenrikh Mkhitaryan, who limped along until stoppage time.
But if there was one match when Mata might have outlasted his
teammate, the one in Lisbon was surely it.
For the second game in a row, Mkhitaryan was a passenger, and given he
was struggling to find a teammate with a simple pass, withdrawing him
earlier might have been kinder.
But it isn't too difficult to see the reason why Jose Mourinho is
tempted to leave the Armenian on the field as long as possible.
A total of two goals and five assists in 11 competitive United
fixtures is an impressive yield for the playmaker who can turn a match
in an instant.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reminds rivals why they should be feared
Swansea in August provided the blueprint. Mkhitaryan was struggling to
influence the game until two brilliant late assists for Romelu Lukaku
and Paul Pogba.
But the 28-year-old has now had two stinkers in succession, and he was
also quiet in the game immediately preceding the international break
against Crystal Palace.
A couple of bad games is no reason to write off any player, but it is
a sign a rest is due. Mkhitaryan has had a heavy workload so far this
season, and has suffered more than most in the absence of Paul Pogba.
But while others around him have been rotated, Mourinho has written
Mkhitaryan's name onto the teamsheet in apparently permanent ink.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have both sizzled this season, but
have been forced into a job share. Mata has been in good form but did
not start at Anfield and has played three fewer games than Mkhitaryan,
while Jesse Lingard's position is getting increasingly chilly.
But Mourinho has a different treatment method for the player signed
from Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
It all flies in the face of 12 months' ago, when one bad half against
City ensured he did not feature for United for six weeks and his
confidence suffered.
But being forced through a series of bad performances can also be
damaging to morale.
Manchester United player ratings: Marcus Rashford and Victor Lindelof class
Mourinho has spoken at length about the benefits Martial and Rashford
have been given when coming off the bench against tired limbs that
have been ravaged by their teammates for 75 minutes, and the two young
forwards are going from strength to strength.
The United manager has the options to give Mkhitaryan the same advantages.
Mata can play centrally, as can Lingard - who is no slouch and has
scored in two Wembley finals for United in the last 18 months.
It does not have to be a case of going all out attack with Rashford
and Martial either side of Lukaku.
Seeing Mkhitaryan coming on late, with his guile and quick brain, is
likely to spark fear in the majority of defences - especially combined
with the speed and power of his teammates.
United have tough fixtures against Spurs and Chelsea coming up, for
which they will need fit and firing Mkhitaryan. There are few in the
league more dangerous than United's Armenian on top form.
Giving him a rest from the start in the next two games may be the
quickest way for Mourinho to get him there.
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