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Former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling has launched a firm rejection to Jose Mourinho’s claims that the centre-back “isn’t capable of playing through pain.”
The 37-year-old, now of AS Roma, was reunited with Mourinho in 2021, following the pair’s shared time together at Old Trafford.
It’s a rekindling which Smalling may have been less than enthused to see, however, based on their previous interactions in Manchester.
Smalling has been ruled out for the majority of this season with chronic knee pain. In a press-conference in November, Mourinho revealed his frustration with his defender’s perceived inability to play through pain.
“Regarding Smalling, the injury is very much there. There are also regular people like us, who aren’t high-performance athletes, who have a greater pain threshold. Maybe I can sleep fine with toothache, maybe you struggle. That’s how it is,” the Portuguese manager contended.
“Smalling isn’t capable of playing through pain. He holds something back. His specific issue is a real challenge.”
These rather shocking comments mirror ones Mourinho has previously made about his defender at Old Trafford.
Speaking after a win over Swansea in November 2016, Mourinho asserted Smalling “doesn’t feel he can play 100 per cent without pain” after the defender missed the game.
It was then revealed the centre-back had broken his toe in two places against Fenerbahce the previous month, and received pain-killing injections to play with the broken bone just three days later against Chelsea.
The following April, Mourinho once again publicly attacked Smalling; this time for being too “cautious” in his injury recovery process, describing how the defender had to be “brave”.
Playing a full ninety minutes after breaking a bone in two places apparently did not constitute bravery for the Portuguese manager.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that Smalling took to social media in the aftermath of Mourinho’s dismissal to refute the manager’s version of events. In a post on Instagram, the defender wrote:
“Since signing for AS Roma in 2019, my commitment and loyalty to the club has never wavered. The minute I stepped foot in Roma, I instantly felt at home. Roma is my home, and the relationship I have built with AS Roma fans is something I cherish dearly. For that reason I wanted to jump on here to address some of the rumours that I have seen circulating over recent months.
“There are things in this game and in life that we can control, and others we simply can’t. This injury has been one thing that we couldn’t. No footballer wants to spend their days in a treatment room, and this period of time away from my teammates has challenged me, with setback after setback.
“I have, and will always, put the needs of my team-mates first, but the absolute priority for the medical team is to guarantee that I can play a significant role in the latter part of the season and for seasons to come.”
The Telegraph have revealed Smalling is suffering from a small tear in his patella tendon which has “caused repeat inflammation” of his knee.
Roma have been attempting to help the defender manage the problem through the “use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and painkillers.”
The 37-year-old revealed he has been instructed against surgery by knee specialists, contending he will “trust the expertise that guides my recovery plan.” He concludes by reiterating that his “commitment and loyalty to [Roma] has never wavered” and his “absolute priority” is getting back to playing for the club.
With the club’s executives deciding Mourinho’s time in the Italian capital had run its course, it seems Smalling will be given all the time he needs to overcome a very difficult injury to manage.
Though if Jose had stayed, The Peoples Person are sure he would have prescribed the centre-back a course of bravery-biotics to overcome a measly patella tendon tear.
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