Jose Mourinho has heaped praise on two players who always give their all for the cause and explained why Fred has not been started in his press conference this morning.
Manchester United paid £52million for midfielder Fred yet his failure to secure a regular starting spot has been the cause of much debate.
Mourinho was asked this morning why the Brazilian had not been getting more gametime and the reply suggests his defensive ability is something of a worry.
The 25-year-old has made just six starts for United in the Premier League and has not figured in any of the last four league games. He has also lost his place in the national squad.
This morning Mourinho was asked about Fred's role in the team and he replied guardedly. "Step by step. You have also other players in other clubs that needed their time and you have some of them that played even less than what Fred is playing.
"I think Fred, when the team is defensively stronger and doesn't need in midfield people that is more worried in giving balance to the team than being involved in creation and attacking dynamic, the day we are stronger defensively, I think the horizons for Fred change completely."
Mourinho commented on an improvement in his team's attitude, especially in midfield, something he'd been unhappy with in the 2-2 draw at Southampton last Saturday.
He said: "The stats that for me are not fundamental, but sometimes they give us, they support our feelings, our ideas. Or sometimes a contradiction to it, but is just a confirmation with the numbers was the match where my team, the globality of my players, run more and run more with higher intensity, too.
"We press the ball more, put difficulties to the opponent, we were fast in our transitions. So we had that spirit - we had that mentality that brought our game to a good level, to a better level. There are special players with special characteristics and just to give you a couple of examples, (Ander) Herrera, (Marcus) Rashford are the kind of players that, even if their game is not phenomenal, that intensity, that desire, that sacrifice is always present. But I prefer to say the team as a team had that mentality.
"I know only two days is not easy (to recover), Fulham in the same situation as us but probably the way they are coming to play or try to play will not demand as much from them as us, but no excuses.