Mourinho’s most pressing concern is what kind of team he will be able to field, following United’s exertions against Celta Vigo on Thursday, when it procured a 1-0 aggregate lead in its Europa League semifinal.
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Heading into this clash, Wenger said at his weekly press conference that he is open to making peace with Mourinho.
By rights it should be a member of Manchester United’s much put-upon back line doing all the moaning.
Celta have been playing a shadow side in La Liga while focusing on their Europa League campaign and remain a threat to United’s hopes of reaching the final in Stockholm, despite their one-goal defeat in Galicia.
The extent of Mourinho’s alterations will be conditioned by a number of high-profile injuries.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists the club’s transfer plans will not be affected by failure to qualify for the Champions League.
“At the end of the day you want all your players to be at their best in every single game so when they don’t achieve that of course you are frustrated but we all played football”. Neither side have any players close to facing a ban on accumulation of yellow cards since a player would need to have accrued 15 bookings this season to be suspended.
United’s bench in Spain on Thursday night was de Gea, Mata, Rooney, Martial, Smalling, Carrick and Young.
That being said, Rashford is still in good form and this was shown in their midweek Europa League game. His intimidating physical presence and leadership qualities from the back give him the edge over the slightly more passive Seaman.
Mourinho can, and does, ridicule Arsène Wenger as a specialist in failure and a dweller in the past, but two decades at the same club is not something the United manager is going to approach.
Meanwhile star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are expected to start in the attacking midfield roles.
Arsenal’s Sylvain Wiltord scored the only goal of the game to secure the Premier League title at Old Trafford in 2002.
Midfielder: Paul Pogba (Manchester United) Back from injury to take his place in midfield, where he tormented Celta and galvanised United’s moves forward.
“A lot of people might tell you that is a gift, not something you can learn as a player – but I think it is”.
“I am deeply stressed out about this weekend’s game against Manchester United because it’s a game we should win against a manager who always finds a way of beating us”.
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That result ended Arsenal’s 22-year run of finishing above their North London rivals but, more than that, put another huge puncture in the Gunners’ bid to make the top four.
