Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Jose Mourinho may have proved people wrong with this Man United decision - Martin Keown
JOSE MOURINHO might just have got it right in terms of managing Manchester United star Henrik Mkhitaryan.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 5 things you need to know
Jose Mourinho brought Mkhitaryan to Old Trafford last summer from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £26.3m.
Premier League starts have been a rarity for Mkhitaryan this season due to a combination of injuries and question marks surrounding his mental strength.
The Armenian made just his second league start last Sunday in a 1-1 draw against Everton.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan has seen starts hard to come by for Manchester United
Jose Mourinho is preparing his side for the visit of Tottenham tomorrow
Being kept waiting is perfect for some players as it means they work harder to prove their point
He showed just what he can do when he scored the opener in United’s 2-0 victory over Zorya Luhansk in the Europa League on Thursday.
And Keown thinks Mkhitaryan has been worth the wait.
“There is an argument that Jose Mourinho needed to play Henrikh Mkhitaryan sooner but maybe this was how the Armenian needed to be managed,” Keown wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“Being kept waiting is perfect for some players as it means they work harder to prove their point.
Martin Keown reckons Jose Mourinho might have timed things just right with Henrikh Mkhitaryan
“When they do get into the side, all that work counts.
“I don't understand why it has taken so long for Mkhitaryan to get going — he was named players' player of the season after making 15 assists in the Bundesliga for Dortmund last season — but now it looks like he is really in the mood.”
United host top-four hopefuls Tottenham tomorrow (2:15pm).
Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?