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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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
@Johnny Bravo: how do you know he’s a big part of Jose’s future plans ?
@Johnny Bravo: o
@Johnny Bravo: or did you just make that up ?
@Alana: to much coffee today Jamie ?
@Johnny Bravo: or is your hand and fingers swollen from some other offline activity?
@Johnny Bravo: stick to making up stuff Thommo
@Alana: So I’m Thommo now lol you’re some tulip
@Johnny Bravo: where did you read he’s part of Jose’s plan for the future?
@Alana: don’t know if this helps, but I read it here. Some bloke called Johnny said so.
@Jumperoo: you must be new here, he makes a lot of stuff up here he also uses the account Thommo
@Alana: obsessed
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.
@Eric Djemba-Djemba: why would he wrap him up in cotton wool when he had the whole summer off lol deluded
@Alana: why risk injuring your best player with nothing to play for at the end of season?
@Eric Djemba-Djemba: going by your logic Madrid will rest Ronaldo for every game bar the CL final then
@Alana: do you ever stop 20 comments on a Jose article and you took up 10 spouting absolute drivel
Great management. That will make his players warm to him even more.
So considerate of Jose
Story outta nothing again lads…..
So
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
Nothing strange great man management