Andy Walker has claimed Manchester United manager,
Jose Mourinho, is trying to force Chris Smalling and
Luke Shaw out of the club.
Mourinho was without the two players in their 3-1 win
over Swansea on Sunday.
He told MUTV before the game: “Smalling doesn’t feel
that he can play 100 per cent with his pain,” and
added: “Luke Shaw told me this morning that he was
not in the condition to play so we had to build a
defensive line.”
Former Celtic striker, Walker, says Mourinho is used to
working with players who can play through pain and
was passing a message in his post-match interview.
“Look at the players he’s used to working with. John
Terry, [Frank] Lampard, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, you can
tell these guys are playing through the pain barriers.
“I think what it does tell you is he cannot trust Luke
Shaw, he cannot trust Chris Smalling.
When a big
game comes along they won’t be considered, because
he’s clearly trying to get them out of the club I think.
“Nobody is advocating that you have a hamstring
injury and try to play through it. But the mentality to
play with a knock or play with something
uncomfortable, how many times has John Terry played
through that under Mourinho?
“He’s looking for a certain type of player. Remember,
it’s early days in Jose’s tenure as manager, he’s just
trying to shape the squad, and these transfer windows
only come around twice a year, and I don’t think he
can trust Smalling or Shaw given his comments.”
