Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he is "totally against" international friendlies following the injuries suffered by Chris Smalling and Phil Jones on England duty
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho
London: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has said he is "totally against" international friendlies following the injuries suffered by Chris Smalling and Phil Jones on England duty. Jones had to withdraw from Gareth Southgate's squad with a toe injury suffered in a training ground clash with Smalling, who later pulled out after sustaining a leg injury in the friendly against Germany.
Both defenders missed England's 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania, leading Mourinho to question the need for friendlies during the season. "I am totally against the friendly matches," Mourinho said. "I think friendly matches for the national team only make sense before the final phases. A couple of weeks before the Euros or the World Cup makes sense. But mid-season friendlies mixed with qualifiers, I don't think that makes sense. On top of that the matches are not big, so I am not a big fan. But one day I will be there so I cannot be very critical," Jose added.
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