Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 6y

Man United still fuming about Phil Jones' treatment while with England

BASEL, Switzerland -- Jose Mourinho has reopened his row with England over Phil Jones by insisting Manchester United's medical team were not consulted before the defender was given pain-killing injections.

Jones received the treatment before England's friendly with Germany but was forced off with a thigh injury after just 25 minutes.

The centre-back missed the 4-1 win over Newcastle at the weekend and will miss the Champions League tie with FC Basel in Switzerland. He is also set to sit out Brighton's visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Mourinho has revealed his medical staff were contacted by the FA about a knee injury Jones had picked up -- but were not consulted about the the 25-year-old undergoing a course of injections.

Mourinho told a press conference at St Jakob-Park on Tuesday: "I think it's a conversation between doctors.

"Because I'm not a doctor, I just get information from my doctor, and the information was they consult my doctor in relation to Phil Jones with a little problem in the knee when the national team starts working, and then no more contact, and then the local injections before the match.

"We were not informed, apart from that I don't have to speak with Southgate, I just wish [for the] good and want him to be successful."

Meanwhile, Mourinho has played down concerns about the pitch in Basel ahead of United's Champions League tie with the Swiss side.

The surface has been re-laid since Northern Ireland's playoff with Switzerland after heavy rain made it almost unplayable.

FC Basel played on the pitch on Saturday, beating Sion 5-1 and Mourinho is hopeful it will hold up. He said: "I give a look, honestly I don't know.

"I want to see after 20 minutes, at this moment it looks OK but let's see after 20 minutes. But at least I respect the effort of trying to make a positive pitch after being so bad in the playoffs in the national team."

Mourinho is yet to decide whether to risk Paul Pogba after he made his comeback after two months out against Newcastle on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be on the bench after the 36-year-old returned at the weekend following seven months out.

Mourinho added: "Zlatan goes on the bench and he normally plays because he needs to play and because he's useful for us.

"If we are in a winning position, like we were against Newcastle, we need him on the pitch, he drops into areas where he gives stability to the team.

"If the team is not winning, his presence on the pitch will be important, positive, more aggressive to play with [Romelu] Lukaku."

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was left out of the squad against Newcastle but has travelled to Basel and could return. Mourinho said: "I think that is a bit frustrated for me, the fact that there is always a question about some player who is not playing or in the best of his form.

"It's always about players in a certain moment, match, period who didn't play or was not my option. The story is always the thing, in some positions where you don't have injuries, you don't have options, and always the same players are playing.

"I decided to play Rashford and Martial together, the question for many weeks is why don't they play together now it's why isn't Mkhitaryan playing.

"The answer is very simple, until the international board change the rules I can only play 11."

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