Middlesbrough 1-3 Manchester United: Three things we learnt

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Mourinho shows his faith in his squad

With Paul Pogba ruled out after picking up an injury against Rostov during the week, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera suspended, Jose Mourinho was forced to adjust his side on Sunday.

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Ashley Young retained his spot from midweek, whilst Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick came into the centre of midfield with Jesse Lingard given his chance on the right-wing, as Mourinho showed once again he’s not afraid to utilise his entire squad – even leaving Henrikh Mkhitaryan out.

Fellaini was one man in particular whose inclusion in the starting eleven received a bit of criticism, but the Belgian rose highest to head United in front and repay Mourinho’s faith in selecting him, whilst it was Ashley Young’s cross that found him – one of three first-half chances he created.

Lingard was another player that gave his first-team chances no harm with a sparkling performance, linking up excellently with Rashford from the very beginning to find the gaps in Middlesbrough’s well-drilled backline; his burning pace also proved effective on the break during the second-half, running with intent before firing an unstoppable 25-yard effort into the top corner past Valdes.

With United competing in four competitions in the previous month, the question asked was always surrounding their ability to cope with fatigue, and whether the quality and strength in depth could keep them challenging – and it seems that Mourinho knows his squad is more than capable.

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