Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has admitted that his team missed Romelu Lukaku in their FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
Eden Hazard’s first-half penalty was enough as the Blues won their only silverware of this season.
However, Mourinho insisted that it would have been different if Lukaku, who was named on the substitutes’ bench, was fit to start at Wembley.
“I congratulate them because they won but I don’t think they deserved to win. I am Manchester United manager and I have to be respectful, not just because they are my previous club but because they are the opponents today but I think we deserved to win.
“I am quite curious to know what you say or what people write because if my team plays like Chelsea did I can imagine what people would say. I am quite curious.
“It was a bit hard for us to play without Lukaku against a team that defends with nine players. You need that presence. Every defeat hurts but I go home with the feeling we gave everything. No regrets.
“They (Chelsea) know our team without Lukaku or Fellaini does not have a presence so putting 8 or 9 players in front of the box they knew they would be dominant in that direct football. We tried everything by other ways but they had a huge block of compacted players,” Mourinho said.
When asked why Lukaku didn’t start the game, Mourinho replied: “When a player tells you he cannot start a game, how can you convince him to play? It does not make sense.”
