Jose Mourinho has told Manchester United to be inspired by Roger Federer and ignore concerns over the pitch in their Champions League meeting with Young Boys.
He will sit out United’s Group H opener at the Stade de Suisse on Wednesday, which could hand right-back Diogo Dalot his debut for the club.
“We decided not to bring Antonio because his knee is not a knee that needs an artificial pitch at all,” Mourinho told a news conference. “So we brought [Luke] Shaw back into the squad, I told already he is playing tomorrow, and we have Diogo, [Ashley] Young and [Matteo] Darmian ready to play.
“As an example, we’re in Switzerland, home of one of the best ever tennis players, and I am pretty sure the big man [Federer] is not happy to play on such a surface, but he has to play and win. Everyone knows he has a favourite surface, but he has to win on the surfaces he is not in love with.
Shaw will return to the United team after missing Saturday’s Premier League win against Watford due to a head injury sustained on England duty.