Serbia international Nemanja Matic has admitted that Manchester United are a lot stronger when Paul Pogba is involved from the starting lineup. The France international will be serving the final game of his red-card suspension against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
In an exclusive with Sky Sports, Matic admitted that the 24-year-old’s absence has hampered the overall quality in the squad, but United have the ammunition to cope without the services.
He said: He’s a very important player for us, he always brings some extra quality to our team. So of course we miss him, but we also have some very important players to substitute him. Obviously, when he comes back, for sure we are going to be stronger because as you know he has a lot of quality and he is very important to the club.”
Without the influence of Pogba, United’s play was one-dimensional during the 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester City, and his availability could have inflicted additional fear among the Citizens’ backline.
Matic has acted as the perfect support to Pogba at the heart of the midfield, and the Serbian has looked more solid when he has been paired alongside the former Juventus man.
Likewise, Romelu Lukaku has looked more of a threat in Pogba’s presence, and the Frenchman improves the players around him with his exceptional passing skills and ability to push forward depending on the situation.
Manchester United scrapped through an unconvincing 1-0 win over Bournemouth in midweek, and they could have another potentially tricky game at the Hawthorns, where the Baggies are likely to adopt a defensive approach.