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Jose Mourinho wants Manchester United fans to roar them to the last eight of the Europa League on Thursday night against Rostov - and defy the FA and TV fixture planners.

The Reds boss was full of praise for the 5,000-plus Reds who packed one end of Stamford Bridge for the 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat against Chelsea.

United were forced to play the tie on Monday night, sandwiched between Euro clashes in Russia last Thursday - when the Reds drew 1-1 - and this Thursday’s Old Trafford in the return.

Mourinho was full of praise for his team and their backing as he plans for the Rostov return.

“After Thursday in Rostov and Rostov again this Thursday I am really proud of the guys,” said the United manager.

“I have a very difficult match on Thursday. My opponent Rostov played on Sunday at three o’clock, we played 7.45pm on a Monday. It is a great protection for an English club playing in the Europa League!

“But now we have to rest and on Thursday we have our supporters, our amazing supporters, absolutely amazing. So I am proud of my players and our supporters.”

United suffered at the Bridge when they could only field Marcus Rashford who declared himself fit after illness but were without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic and injured Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial.

But it was only United’s cup date that upset Mourinho.

“We don’t cry. Nobody saw us crying this week because we don’t have Zlatan, or because we don’t have this or that,” he added.

“Nobody had one single word from us crying about it. The only thing we spoke about is something that is very obvious which is the fact that we are playing in Europe and our opponent (Chelsea) isn’t.”