The Portuguese has labelled Thursday's Europa League clash crucial to the club's European campaign and confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic will start
Manchester United "need to win" against Zorya Luhansk to get up and running in the Europa League, says Jose Mourinho.
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United welcome the Ukrainian side to Old Trafford on Thursday desperately seeking their first points in Group A.
The Red Devils lost their opener 1-0 at Feyenoord on matchday one, the second straight loss out of three in what proved a torried week for the club.
Though many expect the Europa League to take on secondary importance to United, Mourinho is fully focused on progressing in Europe as well.
"It's very important," he told reporters at a press conference. "To be honest I think we have to win.
"If we don't win, we have four matches [left in the group] and I would say we have to all the last four matches, which is difficult. We need to win."
Mourinho rested a number of first-team stars for the opening game of the group at De Kuip in a game that he was criticised over his tactical choices.
And the Portuguese has responded by stating he will change his approach against Zorya, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial both included.
"Zlatan starts," Mourinho confirmed, ruling out fears of fixture congestion for the veteran striker. "We have two matches and then he has two weeks without football.
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"For him he just has to play tomorrow and then against Stoke [City on Sunday], then two weeks without football. Zlatan is one of the players who will have plenty of time to recover.
"He [Martial] is now recovered from the contusion - not a concussion. He has recovered and he is ready."
Mourinho nevertheless added that his side will be without Luke Shaw and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, stating: "Shaw is ill. [He has a] temperature, fever, bad throat. He arrived this morning and the doctor sent him home.
"[Mkhitaryan] is not playing."
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