Jose Mourinho has described Manchester United’s Europa League pairing with FC Rostov as “bad in every aspect” and said the Russians would pose a stern test.
Rostov — seventh in the Russian Premier League, 15 points adrift of leaders Spartak Moscow — dropped into the Europa League after finishing third in a Champions League group that contained Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
And with United facing a 5,000-mile round-trip to Rostov for the first leg on March 9 ahead of an FA Cup quarterfinal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge four days later, Mourinho said: “It is a bad draw in every aspect.
“It is far and it is difficult, and comes in a bad period for us.
“They are a very difficult team. They had a very good Champions League campaign and also beat Ajax and Anderlecht in the playoffs.
“They then had a very difficult group with Bayern and Atletico and but beat Bayern at home. They got third place and knocked out PSV Eindhoven, so they are a strong team.
“I know their manager [Kurban Berdyev] having faced him when I was at Inter Milan and he with Rubin Kazan, so I know they will be very defensive and a very physical team.
“It’s a bad draw, but after Southampton and Bournemouth [in the Premier League], we will focus on it and go for it.”
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