Jose Mourinho wants Manchester United to take inspiration from Roger Federer after Young Boys pitch fears

United will play on an artificial pitch at the Stade de Suisse on Wednesday night

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United plan to take inspiration from tennis great Roger Federer for their Champions League trip to Young Boys.

United travelled to Federer’s native Switzerland on Tuesday for their opening Group H clash, which will be played on an artificial pitch at Bern’s Stade de Suisse.

Mourinho described the surface as “a big disadvantage” when the draw was made earlier this month and would prefer the game to be played on grass.

Antonio Valencia, United’s club captain, was left at home by Mourinho due to fears that the surface could aggravate a knee injury.

The United manager is ready to persevere though, and hopes for his team take a leaf out of Federer’s book.

“I don’t want to use that as a possible excuse for a not very good performance,” he said on the pitch.

“Everybody knows its different. What I had to say I told last week in Geneva in a Uefa meeting we had.

“What can I say? I can get as an example we are in Switzerland, the home of one of the best ever tennis players.

Mourinho wants his players to adopt Federer's mentality (Getty)

“I am pretty sure that the big man sometimes is not happy to play on such a surface but he has to play, he has to win.

“Everyone knows he has a favourite surface but he has also to win on the surfaces he is not in love with. We have to do it."

Mourinho added: "Valencia is the only one whose situation we need to protect. We go with everything we had and we have to try to win."

Mourinho confirmed that Luke Shaw would start from the off against Young Boys on Wednesday night, while Marcus Rashford will be selected in the match-day squad.

The amount of playing time Rashford receives under Mourinho was the subject of much debate prior to Saturday's 2-1 win at Watford.

Rashford was suspended for the trip to Vicarage Road and, though he is available for European competition, Mourinho suggested the youngster is likely to be named on the substitutes' bench in Bern.

"He is selected for the game but I just want to remind you in advance, that we can only start with 11, so when tomorrow you see the team, you could try to speak about the ones that are going to play, and not the ones that are not going to play," the United manager said.

"We have [Romelu] Lukaku, Rashford, [Juan] Mata, Alexis [Sanchez], [Anthony] Martial and they cannot all play together. Try to be a little bit happy with the ones that are playing and not critic with the ones that are not playing."