GAME to whinge like Pep rough treatment

equals – but they know the rules and if the cards have to come, I am sure the referees will be in control of it. “But what do you want defenders to do?

To let the top players play with freedom?

“I think it’s the nature of the game that the more you fear, the more you target.

“You fear the most talented players, so it’s normal there will be a certain approach with those players.

“But for the refs, every player must be treated the same and according to the rules. “But we don’t need managers speaking about this, when the referees must take care of it – which I think they try to do.”

Mourinho said of Sanchez’s qualities: “I like to have in my team a player who, if he loses the ball in minute 91, he doesn’t stop until he recovers that ball – even if he is tired. “When you have players of that mentality it is important.

“And this combination that Alexis has, his experience, his talent and his mentality – makes the player I like.” Mourinho, meanwhile, stressed that United have no intention of losing goalkeeper David De Gea to Real Madrid in the summer.

The United boss said: “Do you think a club that is trying to attract the best players is a club that is open to losing their best players?

“It makes no sense.

We have to attract the best players, like we did with Alexis, Nov 2017: Man Utd 4 Newcastle 1 Jan 2016: Newcastle 3 Man Utd 3 Aug 2015: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1 Mar 2015: Newcastle 0 Man Utd 1 Dec 2014: Man Utd 3 Newcastle 1

Newcastle – 40 wins Man Utd – 76 wins Draws – 39 Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and so on.

“So we don’t let our best players go.”

Meanwhile, United’s Anthony Martial says there are no concerns from the players about the amount of games that are coming up.

He said: “We all like it when we’re playing every three days, that’s football at the highest level.

“We’re always ready and prepared and – what’s more – we have the squad to cope with the amount of games.”