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Eric Bailly hasn't featured since the win over Manchester City. Richard Sellers

Man United boss gives very strange reason for freezing out Bailly

Jose Mourinho claims he hasn’t been playing the centre-half as Ivory Coast aren’t at this summer’s World Cup.

MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER Jose Mourinho has disclosed that Eric Bailly’s recent absence from matches is as a result of his Cote d’Ivoire’s non-participation at the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

Ivory Coast will not be playing at this year’s tournament in Russia and Mourinho has opted to bolster the World Cup chances of English pair Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, Argentine Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof  of Sweden.

24-year-old Bailly has missed United’s last four games and did not even appear on the bench against West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Earlier this week, the former Villarreal centre-back missed the club’s end of the season award night, which has drawn speculations about his future.

However, Mourinho affirmed that there is no situation with the Ivorian defender and confirmed him fit for Friday’s Premier League game against Brighton and Hove Albion.

“There is no situation,” Mourinho told club website. “Bailly is fine, no injury.

He is one of our five central defenders and honestly, my work is not about World Cups and preparing players for the World Cup or giving chances to players to do the World Cup, but he’s the only central defender whose country’s not in the World Cup.

“So if I have to make a kind of more emotional, effective choice to try to help my players, he’s the one I am not going to help until the end of the season. Because, of course, Marcos Rojo, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, all of them are wishing to make the squad for the World Cup and Eric is not under that pressure.

“I try to be a good team manager and that means, be cold, be selfish, but I am not as bad as that and I still have space for a little bit of feelings, so when I look to the other four central defenders fighting for a position in the World Cup, I’m giving less [time] to Eric.”

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    Mute Johnny Bravo
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    May 3rd 2018, 6:32 PM

    Makes sense he’s had a few injuries this season so why use him, give him a rest and proper recovery. He’s a big part of Jose’s future plans so he’ll be raring to go next season as a result

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 6:46 PM

    @Johnny Bravo: how do you know he’s a big part of Jose’s future plans ?

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:01 PM

    @Johnny Bravo: o

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:02 PM

    @Johnny Bravo: or did you just make that up ?

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    Mute Johnny Bravo
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:09 PM

    @Alana: to much coffee today Jamie ?

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    Mute Johnny Bravo
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:11 PM

    @Johnny Bravo: or is your hand and fingers swollen from some other offline activity?

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:11 PM

    @Johnny Bravo: stick to making up stuff Thommo

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    Mute Johnny Bravo
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:22 PM

    @Alana: So I’m Thommo now lol you’re some tulip

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:25 PM

    @Johnny Bravo: where did you read he’s part of Jose’s plan for the future?

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    Mute Jumperoo
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:44 PM

    @Alana: don’t know if this helps, but I read it here. Some bloke called Johnny said so.

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:46 PM

    @Jumperoo: you must be new here, he makes a lot of stuff up here he also uses the account Thommo

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    Mute FPL Thommo
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    May 4th 2018, 8:16 AM

    @Alana: obsessed

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    Mute Eric Djemba-Djemba
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:08 PM

    Wrapping him in cotton wool with nothing to play for in premier league. Probably get a game before FA cup final, arrangement suits everyone good managing. Another CB, LB and a CM who can control tempo of the game(very few out there) needed to challenge man city next season.

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:13 PM

    @Eric Djemba-Djemba: why would he wrap him up in cotton wool when he had the whole summer off lol deluded

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    Mute Eric Djemba-Djemba
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    May 3rd 2018, 9:37 PM

    @Alana: why risk injuring your best player with nothing to play for at the end of season?

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 10:11 PM

    @Eric Djemba-Djemba: going by your logic Madrid will rest Ronaldo for every game bar the CL final then

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    Mute Ich bin brendan
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    May 3rd 2018, 11:59 PM

    @Alana: do you ever stop 20 comments on a Jose article and you took up 10 spouting absolute drivel

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    Mute Marko Polo
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    May 3rd 2018, 6:54 PM

    Great management. That will make his players warm to him even more.

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 6:30 PM

    So considerate of Jose

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    Mute Teddyzigzagbigbag
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    May 3rd 2018, 7:34 PM

    Story outta nothing again lads…..

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    Mute Alana
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    May 3rd 2018, 6:29 PM

    So

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    Mute Tricksy
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    May 4th 2018, 10:11 AM

    Makes no sense ? Mourinho is moaning when players have too much games , no rest he moans ? Yet he is playing guys who will be playing an extra month of World Cup in nothing games ! Bizzare

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    Mute Kevin Chip
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    May 4th 2018, 12:51 PM

    Nothing strange great man management

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