Manchester United Will Be 'Surprised' By Rostov Pitch

FC Rostov manager Ivan Daniliants believes their pitch will be a problem for Manchester United in Thursday's Europa League last-16 tie.

United travelled to Russia on Tuesday for the first leg of the tie, which manager Jose Mourinho described as "bad in every aspect" when it was confirmed last month.

There are now serious concerns over the quality of the pitch in Rostov. UEFA has confirmed the home team will train at their nearby training ground rather than at the Olimp-2 in a bid to avoid unnecessary damage to the surface.

"The pitch is the same for everyone, but it will still be a problem," Daniliants said.

"In the final of the League Cup [when United beat Southampton at Wembley], United played on an ideal lawn - it was like a carpet.

"When they arrive here, they will be surprised."

It is not the first time that United have faced a pitch problem since Mourinho's appointment in the summer. A pre-season friendly against Manchester City in Beijing was called off in July due to the state of the Birds Nest pitch.

In December, Mourinho complained about the fact that their Europa League group-stage decider at Zorya Luhansk took place on a frozen pitch.

Mourinho has picked a 20-man squad for the tie. Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw were omitted from the travelling party but Henrikh Mkhitaryan is back in contention following a hamstring problem.

Credit: Skysports.com