The weekend’s most high profile Premier League match, Manchester United at Arsenal, will be missing a few key players. For the Gunners, their leading scorer, Alexandre Lacazette, has been ruled out due to a groin injury. Meanwhile the Red Devils could be without the anchor of their middle and most important player to their offense, Nemanja Matic.
Mourinho told his news conference on Friday (video at this link): “Matic is a doubt. I hope he can but I cannot guarantee he is selected to go. Let’s see the feeling before the match, let’s see the warm up.
“I hope he can, I want to, he wants to, but I cannot guarantee, and Fellaini is not traveling with the team.”
Mourinho said after the Watford win in midweek that Matic has a muscular issue. The Serbian midfield maestro will travel, while Fellaini, who has a knee injury, will not feature. Also out of this one are Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, Mourinho confirmed today, with the former being at the center of a classic club versus country row that has certainly gotten uglier be the week.
England manager Gareth Southgate answered yesterday the claims made by Mourinho a couple weeks ago.
Odds: Arsenal 6/4, Man Utd 6/4, draw 23/1o
Arsene Wenger press conference video: go to this link
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and the Tribune company’s blogging community Chicago Now.
Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Sound Cloud, LinkedIn and YouTube.