Given he’s scored 27 goals and provided nine assists in 50 appearances this season, Man Utd will want Romelu Lukaku back from injury as soon as possible.
The Belgian international picked up a knock in the win over Arsenal last weekend, and particularly with the FA Cup final in mind, the Red Devils will be desperate to see him fully recovered sooner rather than later.
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From his perspective, he’ll also be concerned with regards to the World Cup in Russia this summer, and so Mourinho’s update on his condition would have been crucial to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez too.
“I don’t know [how long he will be out],” Mourinho told the media, as reported by Sky Sports. “I just know that he will not play tomorrow [against Brighton].
“I hope so [he’ll return against Chelsea], it looks positive.”
United will face the Blues at Wembley on May 19, with both clubs looking to end the campaign on a successful note with a piece of silverware having fallen short in other competitions.
In turn, it will be vital for the Red Devils to have their leading goalscorer back in action, as his goals aside, he also offers a real presence up front and has been a focal point in Mourinho’s plans all season.
It remains to be seen if he’s risked against either West Ham United or Watford in the next fortnight, although an argument could be made that he’ll need to get minutes under his belt in one of those games at least to prove his fitness and show that he can feature against Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Mourinho will have options in his absence as either Marcus Rashford or Anthony Martial could be deployed up top as they have been previously and so Lukaku may even face a real battle to get his place back if they shine in the next three games.