Mourinho not taking Europa League lightly

Red Devils see competition as route to Champions League

ROSTOV-ON-DON: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is hopeful the obstacle of a trip to Chelsea in the FA Cup does not hinder his side's prospects of completing a Europa League last-16 win over Rostov.

United drew 1-1 in Russia in the first leg of their tie on Thursday after Henrikh Mkhitaryan's first-half opener was cancelled out by an Aleksandr Bukharov strike shortly after the break.

It was a good result after a long trip for a match played on a shocking surface at the Olimp 2 stadium — so bad that Mourinho had questioned whether the match should have gone ahead at all.

United host Rostov in the return at Old Trafford next Thursday but before that they go to Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Monday evening, meaning the Portuguese manager will have to adequately manage his squad to avoid fatigue.

And he acknowledged the importance of the Europa League as a potential route into next season's Champions League for a team currently sitting sixth in the Premier League.

"We want to keep the two goals open. In the Europa League, if you manage to go to the quarter finals, then in the quarter finals, you feel it so we have to try by every means," said Mourinho, whose side have already won the English League Cup this season.

"But on Monday [against Chelsea] we cannot play with a bad team. We have to make changes, for sure, but we cannot go to Stamford Bridge with a bad team."

Of the game in Rostov, the former Chelsea manager admitted disappointment at his side's inability to hold their lead but hinted that the outcome still suited him.

"You know, an away goal is always positive. It's better 1-1 than 0-0 but the game is open," said Mourinho, who won the UEFA Cup with Porto in 2003.

Meanwhile, Olympique Lyonnais beat AS Roma 4-2 helped by a fine individual goal from Nabil Fekir, Racing Genk won 5-2 at Gent in an all-Belgian clash and German rivals Schalke 04 and Borussia Monchengladbach drew 1-1 in a meeting of former UEFA Cup winners.