Mourinho wants back-up players to step up

Portuguese manager believes injuries mean those on bench can now shine

BENGALURU: Manchester United's injuries give team-mates the opportunity to prove their worth and flourish for the starting side, said the Premier League club's manager Jose Mourinho.

Frenchman Paul Pogba was the latest to join United's long-term injury list with a hamstring problem but the club have won five consecutive games without the playmaker, including Saturday's 4-0 league win over bottom-side Crystal Palace.

United have been dominant over the last five games, scoring 17 goals and conceding just two, and Mourinho is focused on the players on the pitch rather than those absent from it.

"When we moan all the time about injuries it looks like we don't trust the other people and we have to. We never miss the players that are injured, that's our way of seeing," Mourinho told British media. "They are injured, we don't think about them. It's an opportunity for others, is a moment for others to step up and to get the chance, so I think that's good."

Pogba scored two goals and provided two assists in four league appearances before sustaining the injury and his midfield partner Nemanja Matic is confident that the 24-year-old will regain his form once he recovers.

Matic also echoed his manager's words, saying that United had "great players" that could help them win despite the absence of key players. Last year's top-scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Marcos Rojo are yet to return from serious knee injuries sustained last season, while midfielder Michael Carrick has missed the previous two games with a knock.

Mourinho also said that it was too early to assess United's title chances as they lie second in the league table, behind local rivals Manchester City on goal difference, after seven games. After the international break, United renew their fierce rivalry with Liverpool when they travel to Anfield on October 14.