---
title: "Mourinho – Schweinsteiger to stay"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2017/01/29/mourinho-schweinsteiger-stay/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Man Utd Match Reports"
published: "2017-01-29T19:24:19Z"
modified: "2017-01-29T19:24:19Z"
---

# Mourinho – Schweinsteiger to stay

Manchester United boss José Mourinho has confirmed that Bastian Schweinsteiger will stay beyond the January transfer window and the midfielder will be added to United’s Europa League squad.

Schweinsteiger made his first start for United in over a year against Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round and marked it with a man of the match performance, setting up Marouane Fellaini for the opener and rounded off the 4-0 victory with an improvised finish.

That was only the former German international’s third appearance after he was banished from the first-team setup at the start of the season by Mourinho and forced to train with the reserves.

![Gareth Copley/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2017/01/633010972.jpg)

However, he made his return to the fold in late October and is expected to be used more in the second half of the season, as United compete both domestically and in Europe.

Speaking in the post-match press conference after the Wigan victory, Mourinho, as per the [Manchester Evening News](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/manchester-united-news-bastian-schweinsteiger-12524857), said:

> *Yeah, he’s staying and he’s going to the Europa League list. Because we open spaces with \[Memphis\] Depay and \[Morgan\] Schneiderlin.*
>
> *And we don’t have many players and in midfield we don’t have many options, so obviously he’s an option. Ninety minutes today was probably too hard for him, I think from minute 65 or 70 it was a bit difficult but important for him to have this impact in his body.*
>
> *And now I think he’s happy and if he was a good professional when he was not playing, having some minutes and opportunities he’s going to be the same good professional.*
>
> *With so many competitions and so many matches we have he is an option.*

![Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2017/01/633012860.jpg)

Mourinho also reflected on the United performance, stating that he was unhappy with the display in the first half but happy with how the team reacted in the second:

> *First half was not good. I think we did nothing, we were winning but that goal gave us a different second-half and gave me the chance at half-time to speak to the players and the time to make them feel the first-half was not good enough.*
>
> *Second-half different, completely different, much more intense defending, much more intense in the passing and movement and if we play like this game over, so second-half was good.*