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Bastian Schweinsteiger will stay at Manchester United beyond the January transfer window and will be added to the Europa League squad for the knockout stage.

Schweinsteiger, 32, made his first United start in over a year against Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round and crowned the performance with his first home goal for the club.

The Germany legend began the season training with the reserves after he was ostracised from the senior set-up but he returned to the fold in late October and is likely to be used more this season.

"Yeah, he's staying and he's going to the Europa League list," Mourinho said. "Because we open spaces with [Memphis] Depay and [Morgan] Schneiderlin.

"And we don't have many players and in midfield we don't have many options, so obviously he's an option. Ninety minutes today was probably too hard for him, I think from minute 65 or 70 it was a bit difficult but important for him to have this impact in his body.

"And now I think he's happy and if he was a good professional when he was not playing, having some minutes and opportunities he's going to be the same good professional.

"With so many competitions and so many matches we have he is an option."

Mourinho was unhappy with United's soporific first-half against Wigan and felt the players responded positively to his half-time team talk in the 4-0 win.

"First half was not good," he stressed. "I think we did nothing, we were winning but that goal gave us a different second-half and gave me the chance at half-time to speak to the players and the time to make them feel the first-half was not good enough.

"Second-half different, completely different, much more intense defending, much more intense in the passing and movement and if we play like this game over, so second-half was good."

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