Jose fearing a tricky start

JOSE MOURINHO is worried that World Cup fall-out could wreck the start of Manchester United’s Premier League challenge.

United play the first match of their US tour against Mexican side Club America in the early hours of tomorrow morning. They then face San Jose Earthquakes before matches with AC Milan, Liverpool and Real Madrid, returning to Europe to meet Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Sunday August 5.

But seven first-team players, including World Cup winner Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard, have been given three-week breaks after Russia 2018 and are set to miss the start of the season. And although David De Gea, Nemanja Matic and new signing Fred will link up with the United squad next week, Mourinho (above) said: “Pre-season is very bad, I have to say that. “The only positive thing of pre-season is for the young boys that have a fantastic opportunity to train with us and know what it is to be a Manchester United first-team player. “Next week will come De Gea, Matic and Fred, which is good. “But everything is really bad. When we go back to the UK we have to play Premier League. I’m worried, I have to be worried.

“I’m not worried about playing Liverpool here or Real Madrid or Milan. I’m not worried if we lose badly.

“I’m worried because I’m not training and then go to the Premier League without lots of players.

“But we have to try to make the best out of it and work with the players we have here. Maybe it’s good for Luke Shaw, Eric Bailly, Andreas Pereira.” Mourinho hasn’t been helped by the absence of Alexis Sanchez because of visa issues and he added: “If Alexis is not working with us for 15 to 20 days, it will be very bad. “The club is making the effort. I have to respect the US authorities. I hope he can come and join us later because it will be important to work with him.”