Mourinho likely to rest a few first team players for Arsenal tie

Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho is set to rest a few first team footballers for Sunday's English Premier League game as the Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo is on the horizon.

United, who edged past Celta Vigo by a solitary Marcus Rashford goal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday, are a place and five points ahead of Arsenal who have a game in hand.

"We are going to try. We are not going to Arsenal to say 'beat us' or 'beat us 5-0 or 6-0.' We are going there to fight for a result. But it's impossible not to rest players," Mourinho was quoted by the Guardian.

"I cannot do it in another way. If Celta was playing with their best team, if Celta was fighting for important things in La Liga, we would go in the same circumstances. But I cannot now play with the same team that played at Celta. And then repeat it again next Thursday.

"So, we have to be human with the players, we have to be sensible and (use) common sense in relation to our situation in the Premier League, and I think the last match against Swansea a (1-1 draw) was our last chance to fight for a top-four place, so I am going to rest players, sure," he added.

Mourinho also told United's official website in team news that David de Gea could play in the Europa League final should United reach it despite Sergio Romero being the regular No1 in the tournament so far.

"I don't like to say this competition is for one goalkeeper, that competition is for another one," he said.

"Sergio played one match in the Premier League, David played two matches in the Europa League against Fenerbahce and against Feyenoord, Sergio played also one match in the League Cup, David played the other matches and played the final.

"I don't like that complete separation. But Sunday, David plays. We have two fantastic goalkeepers, we have a third goalkeeper that I think will be the best Portuguese goalkeeper of the next generation (Joel Pereira). We have great goalkeepers and (against) anyone in the world I trust (them) completely."

--IANS

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