JOSE MOURINHO

in his own words . . .

Was the last hour against Chelsea the benchmark for United?

WE have very good matches and we have very good periods of matches. It’s a quality to know how to play against teams who at certain moments are better than you.

I always say to my players, even in matches where we are dominant and we are the best team, there will always be a period where the opponents react and are better than you. You have to know how to play in these moments.

Has Marcus Rashford progressed as much as you expected?

AT his age, what he’s doing is more than enough, and the experience he’s getting at every level is more than enough for us to be happy with what we think is going to be his future. We love him and we believe in him, and he’s going to have chances.

Do you have to reassure him?

I DON’T reassure anyone. The main reassurance for him is he is always selected. You sometimes put in doubt if he is going to be selected for the World Cup. It’s up to Gareth Southgate. If he trusts him, he selects him. It doesn’t matter if he plays for Manchester United.

Can Rashford step in for Lukaku when Zlatan Ibrahimovic goes?

UNFORTUNATELY, Zlatan this season has not been an option. The good thing with Marcus is he can play in the three attacking positions. He’s a fantastic option for us. as told to CHRIS WHEELER