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FA Cup: Manchester United confirm Paul Pogba will miss Huddersfield clash amid rumours of bust-up with manager Jose Mourinho

Relationship breakdown: Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba may be going their separate ways
Relationship breakdown: Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba may be going their separate ways

Paul Pogba has been ruled out of Manchester United’s FA Cup tie against Huddersfield due to illness.

United boss Jose Mourinho had insisted that the France midfielder, 24, would play after addressing what he said were “lies” about his relationship with the player during his Friday press conference.

But the club announced on Twitter on Saturday morning: “Paul Pogba will miss today’s @EmiratesFACup tie at Huddersfield due to illness. U23s midfielder Ethan Hamilton has taken his place in the squad.”

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Pogba was reportedly unhappy at being played too deep in midfield, but Mourinho took exception to those reports.

“I don’t have to speak with you about my conversations with my players. I don’t have to tell you anything about it,” he said on Friday.

“It is my problem, it is the player’s problem. A big lie that our relationship is not good, a big lie that we don’t communicate, a big lie that we don’t agree with his positions and his involvement in the dynamic of the team.


“So, be objective and say what we all know: in the last couple of matches he didn’t play well. Period. End of story.

“Now, it’s my problem and Paul’s problem to deal with it and try to improve his performance level. You don’t need to be a liar.”

Mourinho then invited journalists in the room to tell him what position Pogba played in in United’s last game – the Premier League defeat to Newcastle last Sunday.

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Mourinho clarified that Pogba’s preferred formation is 4-3-3 and playing as an “eight on the left”, before urging the media to explain the game and not talk “b******t”.

“He had a big injury in the season,” Mourinho said. “He almost went to surgery like (Ousmane) Dembele in Barcelona went with a very similar injury.

“The decision was not to do it and go to a conservative treatment, which resulted very, very well. Everybody was really happy with the way things went.”