Manchester United will not miss Paul Pogba for City derby over big ego, says Jamie Redknapp
Ex-Liverpool midfielder believes selfless Ander Herrera is a better option for Sunday clash than banned France hero
MANCHESTER UNITED will not miss £89million star Paul Pogba against Manchester City – as his ego is too big to defend – according to Jamie Redknapp.
The Sky Sports pundit believes Jose Mourinho will want to put a defensive side out to shackle Pep Guardiola’s Premier League pace setters and the Frenchman would not fit.
Pogba misses the game on Sunday – and the two more league matches following that – after a red card for a stamp on Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
But Redknapp – once a ball-playing midfielder – insists Pogba will not be missed for the derby, despite United looking weaker when the ace was injured earlier in the season.
Speaking on The Debate, the ex-Liverpool man said: "I would say they'd miss him in any other game. But against City, I expect Jose to unleash the dogs on them.
"I can see a situation where Jose almost says to Herrera 'I want you to go and mark David Silva, don't give him any time to breathe'
"If they try and go take Man City on for blow-for-blow, they will get destroyed.
"Of course you want Paul Pogba to play in an ideal world and I'm sure he [Jose] will say that.
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"But deep down in his mind, he'll want to stop Man City and that might be how to do it.
"Because (Ander) Herrera has no ego, he'll happily go and follow De Bruyne round.
"It's a gameplan, because everyone is finding it so difficult to stop Man City.
"Because Pogba won't do that, he's got an ego and rightly so because he's a fantastic player.
"It gives you a different gameplan if Herrera is in there."