Jose Mourinho Comments on Bastian Schweinsteiger After Manchester United-Wigan

Bastian Schweinsteiger will stay at Manchester United past the January transfer window and be included in the Red Devils' UEFA Europa League squad, according to manager Jose Mourinho. 

As indicated by this James Ducker report in the Telegraph from November, the 32-year-old midfielder has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, having been exiled from the United squad for much of the 2016-17 season.

However, Schweinsteiger made his first United start in over a year in their 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Wigan Athletic on Sunday, and Mourinho revealed after the clash that the former Bayern Munich man will remain at Old Trafford, per Arindam Rej of ESPN FC:

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Yes, he's staying and he's going to the Europa League list. There are spaces from Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin [leaving] and we don't have many players and many options in midfield.

Ninety minutes today was hard for him. From minute 65, 70 it was difficult. But it was important to have this impact on his body. He was a good professional when he was not playing and he is going to be the same, good professional. With so many competitions and minutes [for United], he's an option.

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Schweinsteiger was impressive against the Championship side, setting up Marouane Fellaini's opener with an inch-perfect ball from the right touchline and netting the fourth with a deft overhead flick in the six-yard box.

His experience and enduring quality could prove valuable in the second half of the season as fixture congestion becomes an issue.

United are through to the last 16 of the FA Cup, have their two-legged Europa League round-of-32 tie against AS Saint-Etienne coming up in February, are in the final of the EFL Cup and are still fighting for a top-four spot in the Premier League.

As noted by ESPN's Alex Shaw, outside of the first-choice midfield trio of Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera, United have few other options in the middle of the park, so Schweinsteiger could prove useful:

He remains a popular figure at Old Trafford despite only having joined United in July 2015 under previous manager Louis van Gaal.

Given that Schweinsteiger is a UEFA Champions League winner, FIFA World Cup winner and eight-time Bundesliga champion, he has more than enough experience to help United as they go in search of silverware in the second half of the campaign.