Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a race against time to be fit for League Cup final and Eric Bailly in a race to be sent off after two needless yellows inside three minutes
Armenian midfielder killed the game off inside just 17 minutes with a sweetly-struck goal but he was subbed off shortly after with an injury
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MANCHESTER UNITED cruised into St Etienne with a three goal lead but left with a suspended defender and injured goalscorer.
Jose Mourinho decided to send a seriously strong side to France - barring outcast Luke Shaw - but it backfired after Henrikh Mkhitaryan pulled a hamstring and Eric Bailly was dismissed.
Here are five things we learnt from the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard:
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Left-back in Manchester
LUKE SHAW is Manchester United’s £32million fourth-choice left-back as his career takes another dramatic dip.
Jose Mourinho revealed midfielder Daley Blind, centre-back Marcos Rojo and right-back Matteo Darmian are all ahead of him.
Dutchman, Blind, started the game but with United already three goals up it wasn’t much of a taxing night for the versatile star.
In fact, if the England defender cannot get a game in this dead rubber when will he get a chance?
One expensive goal
THE GAME was over inside 17 minutes when Armenian Mkhitaryan produced another deft finish.
The scorpion goal he produced for December’s Goal of the Month Award was in no danger of being overshadowed.
But the way he guided the ball home, after Juan Mata’s rifled cross, was another display of his class.
But Southampton fans will have perked up when they saw him clutch his hamstring and exit early, after just 25 minutes.
He’ll need some magical recovery skills to be ready for Wembley on Sunday.
Lazy Sunday Afternoon due for in-form Sergio
SERGIO ROMERO faces a miserable Sunday if his three consecutive wins don’t earn him a start ahead of David de Gea in the cup final.
The Argentine kept a cleansheet in the first leg of this tie and conceded just once away at Blackburn in the FA Cup last Sunday.
But the likelihood is he will be relegated to the subs’ bench for the weekend’s big game and land a pretty meaningless medal for another 90 minutes on his bum.
Deep down he will know that the Spain international is way ahead of him, as one of the world’s best keepers.
But getting pulled out of the starting XI after three wins on the spin, and just one conceded, will still sting.
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Defender bailed out
ERIC BAILLY needs to work on his decision making after getting sent off completely needlessly with two yellows inside three minutes.
The defender has just worked his way back into the side after a lengthy injury but he’s now facing a ban and another spell on the sidelines.
At 4-0 up on aggregate, with just 30 minutes left, the first foul that warranted a caution was reckless.
But the second one just moments later – with the game dead and buried – was insane.
Mourinho will complain and it might have been harsh for a red but both tackles were both so close to together and utterly avoidable.
Schweinsteiger: I am back
The German’s reintroduction into Jose Mourinho’s first-team plans continued with the last 30 minutes.
It should have been an easy jog about for the midfielder but Bailly’s rash red meant his expert game-management was needed.
The former Bayern Munich man showed touches of class and flashed his passing range as he helped shepherd United to another cleansheet.
If Mkhitaryan is out for Sunday’s showcase - and captain Carrick picked up a niggle on Wednesday - then Schweini could complete his zero to hero transformation by making a Wembley appearance.