Thursday 11 May 2017 10:03, UK
Jose Mourinho says it was "common sense" for Manchester United to focus on the Europa League after their "impossible" injury crisis and schedule.
United made eight changes from their Europa League semi-final first leg against Celta Vigo last week in the 2-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, a result which put a dent in their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via the top four.
The Portuguese has had to manage a number of injuries amongst a hectic fixture schedule in recent months, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo picking up injuries.
Before Celta Vigo's visit to Old Trafford for the semi-final second leg on Thursday, Mourinho said his decision to rest key players in the league was a result of those circumstances.
"The situation is simple - 17 matches in seven weeks with 16 players is impossible. It was not a gamble, it was a simple decision based on common sense. 17 matches in seven weeks, April and May, 17 matches with 16 players is completely impossible.
"So since the moment we lost players and we lost initially four of them in one week when we lost Smalling and Jones in the national team and we lost Rojo and Zlatan against Anderlecht and after that we lost boys who could be good alternatives, Ashley Young, Luke Shaw, Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
"So it was not a gamble, it was just a consequence of our situation, so we are in this situation now and we have to fight for it so let's see if tomorrow we can do it and if we can go to the final but it doesn't matter, no regrets.
"We are giving everything we can, the players, myself, everyone, we are giving everything so when you give everything, no problem."
Mourinho says it is important for United and their players to be involved in a European final.
"A European final for the club would be very important to fight for the only trophy that the club has never won before," he said.
"And for this group of players, we have just a little group with European success, I think Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Young, this group of English boys with a long time in the club plus [Juan] Mata.
"Apart from them, if I'm not wrong, no one did it before so it will be very important for the club, very important for the players.
"We are going to do tomorrow what we have been doing since the beginning of the season, which is to fight hard."
