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Don't write off Lindelof! Why Mourinho expects Man Utd defender to come good

The Swedish defender has yet to make his Premier League debut but it is all part of Jose Mourinho's plan to ease him into action

There were a number of areas for concern surrounding the Manchester United squad in 2016-17 but none made fans fret quite like the perceived gaps in defence. When it came to the back-line, nothing felt assured or permanent during Jose Mourinho’s first season in charge at Old Trafford.

While Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Daley Blind shared the central defensive responsibilities to begin with, it was Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo who formed the best partnership as the term progressed despite misgivings about their individual qualities.