Mourinho: Like Mkhitaryan, Lindelof will get more time
- News Team
- Aug 15, 2017
- 2 min read
Jose Mourinho has revealed defender Victor Lindelof will be given his own time to adapt to the Premier League after missing entirely from the United squad against West Ham on Sunday.
The former Benfica man featured against Real Madrid in the Super Cup defeat in Macedonia and the boss later considered it as a rushed decision.
"I think Real Madrid [in the UEFA Super Cup] was too early for him," said Mourinho. "He played because Jones and Bailly were both suspended.
With Jose pointing out the vast Premier League experience that fellow signings Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic have, we shouldn't expect Lindelof to have a similar impact.
He gave a perfect example of how a foreign player needs ample time to adapt to the Premier League rythym.
"I've had players coming from different leagues to the Premier League and, normally, it's not easy. It's different for Lukaku and Matic as they have had years and years in the Premier League.
Lindelof watched from the stands as United smashed West Ham 4-0 at Old Trafford
"I brought Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea in 2004 and he was a phenomenal defender, one of the best central defenders in the Premier League, but he struggled.
It was difficult for him to come in and adapt in the beginning. Mourinho is known to go with form and performances when selecting his team and with Jones and Bailly impressing with a commanding display at the weekend, we might have to wait longer to see Lindelof in action.
"I think Victor needs a little bit of time and he is going to have that time. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not a defender but, last season, he needed his time too. So let's go step by step because Victor is a fantastic player."
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