Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes centre-back Lindelof has what it takes to worry fellow defenders Jones and Bailly about their first team spots.
Lindelof hasn’t featured for Mourinho in the Premier League yet but will get the opportunity to represent his side when they face off against Basel in the Champions League. The Swedish defender was bought from Benfica over the summer window with the manager clearly targeting the backline as his problem area.
“I don’t think Bailly and Jones are better than them . I think they are the same level, they are just different players. Even if Jones and Bailly were not suspended, probably I would still play Lindelof and Smalling tomorrow because for me they are the same level. It is just a question of option.” said the former Chelsea manager.
More from Red Devil Armada
- Aaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injury
- Manchester United break an unwanted record after Brighton loss
- Sofyan Amrabat set to miss game against Brighton
- Preview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to know
- Jadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad
Mourinho continued explaining, “We were playing one match per week, I never felt reasons to make changes, but I play them tomorrow and, for me, it is exactly the same as Bailly and Jones. I think it is easier for to play Champions League. It is more comparable to the Portuguese style of football.”.
“It is more different in relation to the Premier League, so no need to adapt to Champions League. He needs a little bit of time to adapt to the Premier League, especially to the new Premier League. Intelligent kid, very bright, very calm. He knows that step-by-step he is going to be there, but for tomorrow I am more than confident and I know he is more than confident.”, said the Portuguese tactician.
Finally Mourinho concluded, expressing his admiration for Lindelof, “He is a very good player with a very good potential, and honestly I think there are reasons for the other boys, Eric and Jones, for them to be worried because Victor is a very good player.”. Words of warning from the man in charge and after their performance vs Stoke, Jones and Bailly would do well to listen.
Victor was renowned at Benfica for his ability to deal with one-v-one situations, his passing and for his pace. All 3 qualities makes him the perfect Jose centre-back but whether he will actually fulfil this potential is yet to be seen. Early days for the Swedish centre-back but he will have to fight four other Red Devils for the first team spot.
Jones, Bailly, Rojo and Smalling all stand in his way but things may not be as complicated as they seem for Lindelof. Should he adjust to the Premier League, it will likely end in him and Bailly partnered in defence for the next couple of years at Old Trafford. After all, there must be a reason why Mourinho invested in the pair in separate windows.
There’s also the matter of his competition- while Jones has had a good couple of games, he showed that he’s still prone to making silly mistakes despite his age. Rojo is quite similar in that regard. The pair can start to look like real Manchester United defenders when protected but once they’re even slightly exposed, they completely fall apart.
Next: Manchester United: Do they lack Champions League experience?
Smalling is another issue entirely. After excelling under Van Gaal, Chris has been unable to see eye-to-eye with Mourinho. The pair don’t seem too fond of each other and should there be an exodus of centre-backs, it’s like that the Englishman would be first to go. The path is clear for Lindelof to become a true United centre-back for the next decade if he chooses to be.