Jose Mourinho threatens to play Nicky Butt and Manchester United's reserves against Crystal Palace

United's hectic fixture pile-up has resulted in a number of injuries as they head into the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo on Thursday shorn of four key defenders

Jose Mourinho has once again bemoaned Manchester United's fixture pile-up (Getty)

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United's injury crisis is so bad he may be forced to play Nicky Butt and his reserve team in the final Premier League game of the season.

United dropped points at Old Trafford for the 10th time this season as Gylfi Sigurdsson's late free kick further dented their chase for the top four.

They could still qualify for next season's Champions League via the Europa League but head into the first leg of the semi-final against Celta Vigo on Thursday shorn of four key defenders after Eric Bailly was forced off in the second-half on Sunday.

Bailly joins Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo on the sidelines with Daley Blind the only available central defender ahead of the trip to Spain.

"At the moment we can’t walk from the bed to the toilet without breaking a leg,” Mourinho said after the game.

United have reached the latter stages of both domestic cup competitions as well as the Europa League and Mourinho believes the fixture pile-up that would come with reaching the final in Stockholm could force him to make sweeping changes against Crystal Palace on the final day.

"It’s a consequence of our ­success, but also of the ­calendar,” he added. “You are ­punished for doing well.


 Mourinho was in a frustrated mood after the lacklustre draw with Swansea 
 (Getty)

"At the moment this is hypothetical, but if we beat Celta [Vigo], we have the final. But the Europa League final is on the Wednesday (May 24) and we play ­Palace on the Sunday, and ­Southampton a few days before that (on the 17th).

"We could be playing the final with disastrous consequences.

"Maybe I will bring Nicky Butt and his team to play against Crystal Palace. And hopefully Palace doesn’t need to stay in the ­division, ­because it would be very bad if they needed the points and we played our Under-23s."