St Etienne 0 Manchester United 1 (agg 0-4): Henrikh Mkhitaryan seals easy passage through but his goal could come at a costly price

HENRIKH MKHITARYAN'S early goal quickly dented any hopes of a French miracle in Saint-Etienne as 10-man Manchester United cruised into the last 16 of the Europa League.

But his appearance came at a costly price after he limped off holding his hamstring ahead of the EFL Cup final next Sunday.

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Despite a 3-0 advantage heading into the second-leg, Jose Mourinho was taking no risks as he fielded a strong side that included the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba.

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And if the tie wasn't over before kick-off, then it certainly was 15 minutes into the game when Mkhitaryan latched onto Juan Mata's superb cross to poke the ball past the keeper.

With one eye on the final against Southampton, Manchester United could afford to take their foot off the pedal knowing the Ligue 1 side needed to score five goals.

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The home supporters raised the roof in a cauldron of noise and despite having an impossible mountain to climb, Romero was given a wake up call when Perrin's header was grasped by the keeper.

As United were going through the motions in the second half, Mourinho was left fuming when Eric Bailly picked up two yellow cards in three minutes.

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It means he will miss the next game and will be one yellow card away from a further suspension.

Despite having a man disadvantage, United were in control of the game and Marcus Rashford was left frustrated when his effort was clawed away after he was put through on goal.

Mourinho was hoping for a perfect night but the injury to Mkhitaryan and Bailly's red card overshadowed their easy win.

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FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS

• Jose Mourinho picked a strong team despite being 3-0 up from the first leg but paid the price when Henrikh Mkhitaryan limped off clutching his right hamstring.
• Mkhitaryan had opened the scoring by touching home from Juan Mata's cross, the fifth goal he has been involved in his last six matches.
• St Etienne supporters never let up and created a terrific atmosphere in what effectively was a dead rubber.
• They relentlessly booed Zlatan Ibrahimovic too, along with Anthony Martial.

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• Michael Owen was on the touchline as a pundit at the ground where he scored his wonder goal at the 1998 World Cup.
• Michael Carrick wore the armband and looks most likely to lift the EFL Cup if Wayne Rooney misses the final on Sunday. But Carrick himself went off with what looked like a fault
• David De Gea will return for the final if fit. Sergio Romero has a superb record in the cups but didn't play in the semi-final against Hull.
• The Pogba brothers saluted each other with a special handshake before kick-off. Paul was much deeper than left-back Florentin so there was not much chance of a crunching tackle between the pair.

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• Eric Bailly misses the next game for United in Europe for picking up two yellow cards in three minutes.
• Bastian Schweinsteiger got half an hour but there were concerns Carrick was carrying a calf problem.

SOCIAL SAYS

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

Manchester United: Romero 7, Young 7, Bailly 5, Smalling 6, Blind 7, Carrick 7 (Schweinsteiger 62, 6), Fellaini 6, Pogba 7, Mata 6 (Rojo 64, 6), Mkhitaryan 7 (Rashford 25, 6), Ibrahimovic 6

Subs not used: De Gea, Lingard, Martial, Valencia

Booked: Bailly red card

Goals: Mkhitaryan (15)

STAR MAN: DALEY BLIND

WHAT THEY SAID

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho speaking on injuries: "Can be injured leaving your house, in the garden. There is always a risk. Not to have them both for the final is complicated.

"I don't say they are definitely out. I just say what I feel. Hamstring or calf, I always think three days is no time."

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Midfielder Juan Mata: "I think this was the best way to prepare for the final, not just qualifying but winning the game. We go to the final with confidence after three days rest."