Football
Rob Dawson, Correspondent 7y

Man United's Paul Pogba to face Crystal Palace; Angel Gomes, 16, in squad

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Paul Pogba and Timothy Fosu-Mensah will play for Manchester United against Crystal Palace on Sunday while Angel Gomes, 16, also trained with the squad ahead of the game.

Mourinho also said Chris Smalling, who missed training on Friday has "a problem" but should be fit for the Europa League final against Ajax next Wednesday but Marouane Fellaini, who also missed training, was "a question mark."

Mourinho told his prematch news conference: "Paul [Pogba] is fine, a strong guy, a strong mentality. He is learning how to live after his father died, but he knows he needs to play on Sunday.

"He has not played for a long time and needs minutes on the pitch, so he plays against Palace."

Fellaini and Smalling sat out the session at Carrington after starting the 0-0 draw with Southampton on Wednesday.

Fellaini limped off during the second half at St Mary's with a muscle injury.

"Smalling has a problem, a small one, so not really a problem for the final," Mourinho said. "A problem for the weekend, but not the final.

"Marouane is the question. We have sent him for scans, he is feeling not bad, but let's wait. We didn't send for a scan until now because we wanted to wait.

"Fosu-Mensah plays Sunday [against Crystal Palace] and if the reaction is good and he plays without problems, he is a new option for us for the final."

Other starters at Southampton including Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Anthony Martial, Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe trained away from the main group along with Antonio Valencia, who was rested.

Eric Bailly was also absent after picking up a knock against Southampton. The Ivory Coast defender will play no part against Ajax in Stockholm on Wednesday after he was sent off in the semifinal second leg against Celta Vigo.

Smalling is in line to take his place alongside Daley Blind if he can prove his fitness ahead of the trip to Sweden.

With Mourinho determined to focus on the Ajax game, the United manager has made it clear he will hand senior debuts to a host of the club's youngsters alongside Pogba and Fosu-Mensah, who has recovered from a shoulder injury in time to play against Sam Allardyce's team.

He said: "We will have two keepers, Joel Pereira and Kieran O'Hara, and we will have Demetri Mitchell, Scott McTominay, Matty Willock, Josh Harrop, Angel Gomes, Zachary Dearnley, Axel Tuanzebe, so lots of them.

"Are they ready? All together, no. One in the middle of a good and dynamic team maybe, but not all at once.

"The only positive is for me to save my players and give him the opportunity for Wednesday.

"For the kids, it will be a great experience -- Old Trafford, Premier League, last match of the season, a good occasion. But I repeat, the best for a young player is in the middle of an experienced structure.

"To play so many at the same time is not good against a team of experienced and strong players like Palace has. So many at the same time, they need my support. "We will bring the ones who I think are more adapted to our team at the moment."

ESPN FC's senior writer Mark Ogden contributed to this report

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