Rio Ferdinand: This Man Utd player needs to become main man under Jose Mourinho

Rio Ferdinand has challenged Chris Smalling to step up and become Manchester United's main man at the back

Posted Friday, November 04, 2016 by Thesportreview.com

Jose Mourinho's summer signing Eric Bailly was ruled out for a couple of months after the Ivory Coast international suffered a serious knee injury during the second half of their 4-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month.

Smalling has missed Manchester United's last two games with an injury issue of his own but the England international is expected to return to Mourinho's starting line-up for their trip to Swansea City on Sunday afternoon.

The 26-year-old defender has started five of Mourinho's 10 Premier League games in charge at Old Trafford, scoring in a 4-1 win against defending champions Leicester City in September.

And Smalling's former Manchester United team-mate Ferdinand has called on the England man to become more of a leader at the 20-time English champions.

"If Smalling is to fulfil his potential, then he needs to become the dominant centre-back this season. With Eric Bailly out injured for a couple of months, he has to become the main man," Ferdinand wrote in his Evening Standard column.

The Red Devils are in eighth place in the Premier League table and eight points adrift of leaders Manchester City.