Juan Mata has called on his Manchester United team-mates to conquer a
red-hot October schedule that will have a major bearing on their hopes
of winning the Premier League.
United have not hit peak form
consistently this season and yet sit just two points off the top of the
Premier League ahead of Saturday's tricky trip to Everton.
They
might have gone into the
international break as leaders had they not
collapsed to a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in their last match, a performance
described by their baffled manager Louis van Gaal as their worst since
he took charge at the club in July 2014.
For van Gaal, that Arsenal loss was the start of a testing run of fixtures that continues at Goodison Park.
His
team face a long trip to Russia to face CSKA Moscow in the Champions
League on Wednesday, then leaders Manchester City visit Old Trafford
next Sunday before United travel to in-form Crystal Palace.
Van
Gaal has a number of injury concerns - most notably with his captain
Wayne Rooney, who sat out England's wins over Estonia and Lithuania
because of an ankle problem.
Bastian Schweinsteiger suffered a
thigh injury in training while on international duty with Germany and
will be assessed, as will fellow midfielder Michael Carrick who, like
Rooney, missed both England matches during the international break.
Defender
Marcos Rojo withdrew from the Argentina squad for recent World Cup
qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay with the hamstring trouble that
has kept him out of United's last four matches.
Centre-back Paddy
McNair will definitely be unavailable, having only just been released
from a Helsinki hospital, where he spent three nights after rupturing
his liver during Northern Ireland's 1-1 draw in Finland last Sunday.
Spanish
midfielder Mata, though, feels United will have underlined their title
credentials if they can cope with the tests that lie ahead.
"We have to get ready for a few games that are going to be tough and thrilling," Mata said.
"October is meant to be a very difficult month and we must be ready for it."
Friday, October 16, 2015
Mata wants United to prove their worth
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Write comments