Man Utd Team News: Mourinho Confirms Boost But 7 Others Doubtful For Chelsea Trip

Manchester United will be looking to close-in on the top four with a win when they take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. 

Jose Mourinho has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and provided a team news and injury update with the United boss sweating on the fitness of Ander Herrera, Diogo Dalot, Marouane Fellaini, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Luke Shaw, Jesse Lingard and Marcos Rojo.

Herrera has been restricted to just two Premier League appearances this season with a niggling ankle injury hampering the midfielder in recent weeks. However, Mourinho says the Spaniard is back in full training and, given the injury situation he’s facing at present, Herrera will be rushed back in to the squad this weekend.

United have several midfielders on the treatment table as Fellaini will need to be assessed to see whether he’s fit to face Chelsea after not featuring for Belgium during the international break due to a groin injury while McTominay is also nursing a knee problem that he picked up while away with Scotland.

Matic was forced to return home early from the Serbia squad due to an ankle injury and he’s a doubt to face his former side while Lingard is still working his way back from a groin injury that’s hampered him recently.

To add to Mourinho’s problems, Luke Shaw is also facing a late fitness test on an ankle injury that he sustained while away with the England squad, Dalot picked up a knock on international duty with Portugal and Rojo hasn’t featured for the first team this season due to a knee injury.

Mourinho says all the injury victims will need to be assessed before their availability against Chelsea is known. He told ManUtd.com:

“The squad shape is that everybody available is selected. [I had] a bit of everything [in the international break]. We work here with the players that stayed here. I went to an international match [in Serbia] as you know.

“Then we came back and we were waiting for the boys to come back from their national teams. Some came back in good condition and the happiness of some good results. Some came back with injuries, injuries that we were aware of when they happened and the national teams were correct in sending the boys back.

“We also had surprises with players that we had no idea that they were injured and they arrived with important injuries.”

“Players that are going to make an effort to be available for the team, like Herrera. He trained two days but, with the situation we have, is one step forward and he’s ready to help us.”

So United have plenty of injury concerns to worry about as they prepare to head to the capital to take on Chelsea sitting eighth in the Premier League table so Mourinho will be desperate to secure a positive result against his former club.