Mourinho finds new target as "always injured" Roma star joins list of fallouts

23 September 2023 , 05:30

605     0

Jose Mourinho's Roma have made a mixed start to the season (Image: Getty Images)

Roma boss Jose Mourinho has taken aim at Renato Sanches and admitted he does not know why the midfielder is "always injured" after suffering another setback.

Sanches, 26, limped off before the half hour mark against Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa Conference League on Thursday. Roma ran out 2-1 winners in Moldova thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku's winner, but Mourinho will be sweating on the fitness of Sanches following his latest injury blow.

The ex-Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich star had played just 70 minutes of Serie A action this season, missing two matches with muscle problems. After Roma's win against Sheriff, Mourinho opted to criticise Sanches and claimed he is "always at risk", as well as highlighting his torrid injury record.

"They [Renato Sanches and Houssem Aouar] have to play, they need rhythm and intensity. That's what Renato is, he's always at risk, it's difficult to understand: Bayern didn't understand him, PSG didn't understand him and we have difficulties," Mourinho said.

"He played 45 minutes on Sunday, then had three days of rest and left after 27 minutes. He is always in doubt, it is difficult to understand why he is always injured. Aouar played the necessary time to regain the rhythm of the game."

Ten Hag has chance to end unacceptable Man Utd wait he immediately acknowledged

Sanches has missed 61 matches due to injury since the start of the 2020/21 season and moved to Roma on loan from PSG in the summer in a bid to get his career back on track. His Roma career has not got off to the best of starts, though Sanches did score in their 7-0 rout over Empoli last Sunday.

Will Roma win the Europa League? Let us know in the comments below!

Renato Sanches has been criticised by Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)

This isn't the first time Mourinho has publicly criticised one of his players. Last season, the Giallorossi boss slammed Karsdorp's "poor attitude" and claimed the Dutchman had "betrayed his teammates". Karsdorp has managed to work his way back into Mourinho's plans and has made three appearances so far this season.

During his time at Tottenham, Mourinho slammed several stars, including Serge Aurier, as revealed in the All or Nothing Amazon documentary. "Serge, you are a marker. You speak good English?" Mourinho asked, to which Aurier nodded with confirmation. "I am afraid of you as a marker," the ex-Spurs boss added. "Because you are capable of doing a sh*t penalty with VAR. So I am telling you already, I am afraid of you."

Roma boss Jose Mourinho has publicly slammed players in the past (Getty Images)

Matt Doherty, who worked with Mourinho at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, admitted he was left out of the squad to face Aston Villa in March 2021 in favour of academy players. "I went to get off the bus and it was Covid at the time," Doherty said last year.

"So, you weren’t allowed in the changing room if you weren’t in the squad. Ledley [King], who was the assistant coach, was like: 'You've got to stay on the bus.' Once the game started I was allowed to go into the stands. So, now I was just sat on the bus on my own,' Doherty continued.

"Genuinely, because it was the international break straight after, I was so close to just getting in the car and going. I think [Ireland] were meeting in Manchester anyway. I didn’t in the end, I decided I’d stay and watch the game and then go."

Kieran King