Manchester United Football Club take on FC Rostov at Old Trafford this evening, with a place in the Europa League quarter-final at stake for the winner. Jose Mourinho’s men took the lead out in Russia through Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but the hosts levelled up in the second half.
The tie is finely poised at 1-1 thanks to Mkhitaryan’s well-crafted goal, and it’s fair to say that the 27-year-old has been a real important player for us since the turn of the year.
Now, Chris Smalling has had his say on all things Manchester United, and amongst the topic of conversation was the former Borussia Dortmund man.
Whilst speaking to Manchester United’s official website, Smalling was asked about whether the squad is happy at the fact that they have Henrikh Mkhitaryan back available.
“Yeah, we are – it is great. He had missed a few games but he came back and had an instant impact like he had never been away. It is great to have such great attacking options and Micki has been brilliant for us, because he is a threat that is very hard to defend against.” ManUtd.comThe English centre-back is quoted as saying by .
“I think it could be a coincidence [he’s done so well in Europe] but, as a player, he is very unpredictable. Every player in the world knows who Henrikh Mkhitaryan is. But it is one thing to know him and another to deal with him. I am lucky that he is on our team and I am not playing against him.
“He is often thinking one step ahead [in training], whether it is a pass or a dribble. He is deceptively quick as well and he is probably quicker with the ball than he is without, which is rare for a lot of players. He is a great, great asset for us.”
These comments are just great. After a slow start, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is really proving his worth to this great football club, and we’re very lucky to have him on our books.
By the sounds of it, the attacker really causes plenty of problems in training for Chris Smalling and his teammates. His pace, directness and the fact that he is a real hard-worker all play to Mkhitaryan’s advantage – he’s something special.
Tonight we’ll need him to come to the fore and stand up and be counted. We should progress into the next round of the Europa League, and our task should be made easier by the fact that Henrikh should be on the field.
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