Manchester United

Jose Mourinho questions decision to stage international friendlies

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 29 March 2017

Mourinho questions decision to stage friendlies

Jose Mourinho believes that international friendlies midway through the season should be scrapped and instead only staged ahead of major tournaments.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that he is "totally against" the staging of international friendlies during the domestic season.

The 54-year-old lost centre-backs Chris Smalling and Phil Jones to injuries during the two-week break, both of whom are now facing a spell on the sidelines.

Mourinho has questioned the decision to hold friendly matches alongside qualifiers with the season currently in full swing, claiming that they should instead only be used ahead of major international tournaments.

"I am totally against the friendly matches," he told Sky Sports News. "I think friendly matches for the national team only make sense before the final phases.

"A couple of weeks before the Euros or a couple of weeks before the World Cup makes sense. But mid-season friendly matches mixed with qualification matches, I don't think that makes sense.

"On top of that the matches are not really big matches so I am not a big fan. But I think one day I will be there so I cannot be very critical."

United will also be without suspended duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera for their meeting with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, while Paul Pogba has yet to recover from his hamstring injury layoff.