Jose Mourinho’s U23 plan for Marcos Rojo didn’t work out as he’d hoped

Jose Mourinho described the decision to free up Marcos Rojo and Diogo Dalot for Manchester United's U23 side as "the end of their recovery process."

Both defenders lined out for Ricky Sbragia's side in the Premier League 2 clash against Reading on Friday night but only one escaped unscathed. Mourinho had hoped that Rojo and Dalot - neither of whom have represented the first team this season - would be available for selection after one last test for the U23s. "If they play the 90 minutes like we expect, then it will be the end of their recovery process and we will consider them ready to be back next week for full competition," Mourinho said in his Friday press conference. But Mourinho's plans didn't exactly work out as Rojo limped out of the 1-1 draw with an injury. The Argentine defender hasn't played since he was substituted at half-time of his country's World Cup round-of-16 defeat to France due to a "physical problem." Rojo lasted less than an hour against Reading before he was escorted down the tunnel by a member of the club's medical staff, according to the match report from Manchester Evening News. The severity of Rojo's injury remains to be seen but it certainly flies in the face of Mourinho's plans for the 28-year-old. Dalot, meanwhile, appears to have proven himself ready for first-team selection after lasting 90 minutes on Friday night.