Kar repair lifts Klopp
In fact, the super Swede wouldn’t even have been in the country. Most people would have thought that Ibrahimovic, at some stage of his career, wanted to play in the Premier League.
That, though, was not the case. English football was not on his wish list – until Mourinho arrived at Old Trafford in the summer and suddenly Manchester United became an appealing option. In fact, irresistible, even though the much-travelled Ibrahimovic was 34. He was out of contract at Paris St-Germain and retiring from Sweden duty after the Euros in France and the chance to end his career playing for Mourinho (below) again was the perfect scenario.
He once said: “I was close two times to moving to the Premier League – once with Arsenal and then Manchester City – but it never happened and I don’t need to play in the Premier League.” Then Mourinho, his manager at Inter Milan, changed all that. Ibrahimovic says of the former Chelsea boss: “He is the mastermind, the masterbrain. “He knows what he needs to do to win. I learned a lot from him at Inter.
“Who wouldn’t want to have Mourinho as manager?”
The feeling is very much mutual and the Portuguese has been delighted, though not surprised, at Ibra’s immediate impact which has seen him score four goals in four games including the Community Shield winner against Leicester. And because of his age, he will almost be nursed through his career in England by Mourinho.
The Daily Star Sunday can reveal that the Special One ORDERED the hitman to take a mini-holiday during the current international break.
Ibrahimovic wanted to be treated like the other nine senior players who weren’t on international duty and have only two days off.
The charismatic superstar said he would report to the club’s Carrington training HQ and work in the gym but Mourinho told him that he had to take four days off and return to training last Thursday.
He wants one of his key men fresh to face City at Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime when Ibrahimovic will come up against another of the high-profile managers he has played for – Pep Guardiola.
But his relationship with the Spaniard couldn’t be more contrasting to the one he again enjoys with Mourinho.
To put it bluntly, Ibrahimovic doesn’t like the Blues boss, who he worked with at Barcelona.
He once said of Guardiola: “As a coach, he was fantastic. As a person, he is not a man. “And there is nothing more to say.” That all adds another intriguing ingredient to the derby when something has got to give with both clubs having 100 per cent success records this season.
And you wouldn’t bet against Ibrahimovic being at the centre of the action. LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp has received a double boost before welcoming champions Leicester to the revamped Anfield on Saturday. Keeper Loris Karius (left), a £4.7million summer signing from Mainz, is ahead of schedule after breaking his right hand against Chelsea in July and will return to full training this week. And Brazilian midfielder Lucas, 29, is also targeting a first-team return after recovering from a hamstring injury. German Karius, 23, would love to face the Foxes in the evening kick-off to mark Liverpool’s first STEVE MILLAR match after the completion of the new main stand.
He said: “Now the fracture has healed hopefully I can start training and build it up. I can start to use my hands and catch balls. It’s up to me.
“We’re ahead of schedule but I don’t want to rush it too much. If I feel good, though, then maybe I will be back way sooner than expected.”
Lucas, who was sidelined for a month after limping off against Huddersfield in pre-season, said: “I’m 100 per cent fit. I would say I’m now ready to play 90 minutes.”