These Thursdays are killing us – Ibrahimovic

Joe Williams
Thursday night Europa League matches are “killing” Manchester United, according to striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Ibrahimovic, who has made 21 appearances this season, scored in United’s 2-0 win against Zorya Luhansk on Thursday night – his seventh goal in six games in all competitions – after a run of six games without a goal.

Jose Mourinho’s men now head the 2000 miles back to England after their assignment in the Ukraine and they are unlikely to do much training before facing Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.

Mourinho complained about having to play in the Ukraine in the depths of winter but his side progressed to the knockout stage, along with Spurs, who defeated CSKA Moscow at Wembley.

Ibrahimovic though is mindful that United’s Thursday-Sunday schedule will make preparations for the visit of Mauricio Pochettino’s side tougher.

“We don’t have a lot of rest,” Ibrahimovic told The Sun. “These Thursdays are killing us, especially me.

“Now we have one day less to recover before we face Spurs.”

Ibrahimovic’s words will serve as a warning to Spurs, whose demanding Europa League schedule hit their Premier League title hopes last season as Pochettino’s side hit a run of poor form towards the end of the campaign.

Pochettino said of the competition earlier this week: “I think the Europa League is very important going forward, it is a great competition.

“It is not a consolation because in the last few years Tottenham have been playing in the Europa League.