By Dave Marshall
Manchester United defender, Marcos Rojo has declared himself fit for this weekend’s FA Cup clash against Huddersfield, handing a huge boost to Jose Mourinho.
The versatile defender has been used sparingly by the Portuguese tactician ever since his return from knee injury back in November. The 27-year-old is expected to slot in the heart of defence against David Wagner’s team this weekend. The pair of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have come in for criticism especially in the wake of the defeats to Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur that have left us 16 points behind Manchester City.
Mourinho is expected to drop the pair, who have chosen the wrong time to drop form. Another option for Mourinho would be summer signing, Victor Lindelof who is expected to partner Rojo on Saturday. The Swedish centre back last featured in the last round victory over Yeovil Town. United legend, Gary Neville laid into Smalling and Jones recently, stating that the pair have only been saved by the heroics of Spanish goalie, David De Gea.
Rojo, said as quoted by The Mirror, “I’m feeling 100 per cent and I’m happy with my previous performances, they’ve been at a high level and I’m happy with my physical level, too. It’s about getting minutes under my belt and continuing to play.
“ It was great coming back after a difficult injury and there was a lot of hard work for me to do. There were difficult times during that period so, after being out of the team for six or seven months, it was an immense feeling to be back on the field,” he explained.
Rojo is confident that he is at a good ‘physical level’ and believes that regular minutes under his belt will help him get back to his best. United need more solidity in the defence. Jones has dropped in the last few matches despite playing well for the majority of the season while Smalling isn’t consistent enough to start for United. Ivorian centre back, Eric Bailly is also expected to return at the end of the month.
