[ 2016-11-08 ]

Jose Mourinho: Gareth Southgate defends Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw - See more
England interim boss Gareth Southgate has defended
Manchester United’s Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw
after criticism from their club manager, Jose
Mourinho.

The United boss questioned the pair for missing
Sunday’s 3-1 Premier League win at Swansea,
saying: “For the team, you have to do
anything.”

Smalling has a foot injury, while Shaw played in
United’s Europa League defeat by Fenerbahce on
Thursday.

Southgate said there was “obviously something
wrong” with both players.

Central defender Smalling, 26, and left-back
Shaw, 21, have been left out of the England squad
for Friday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against
Scotland and next week’s friendly against
Spain.

Shaw has played six league games this season
since returning from a double leg break last
September.

Asked by media if the two players were
“flaky” characters, Southgate replied: “That
wouldn’t be my impression.

“Luke I know well and Luke’s had a really
tough injury. I think very often it’s easy to
look from the outside or to make judgements on
people without knowing them really, really
well.”

Shaw and Smalling have played with pain-killing
injections this season and there are reports that
former Southampton full-back Shaw is “baffled”
by Mourinho’s criticism.

Before the Swansea game, the Manchester United
manager said: “Smalling doesn’t feel that he
can play 100% with his pain. Shaw told me this
morning that he was not able to play.

“There is a difference between the brave, who
want to play at any cost, and the ones for whom a
little pain can make a difference.”

Source - BBC

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