Mourinho pleased to benefit from quiet week

JOSE MOURINHO is hopeful that his side can benefit from a free midweek when United visit this afternoon.

Spurs have not had the luxury of a full week on the training ground ahead of a Premier League game this season because of their Europa League and Carabao Cup commitments.

But their demise to Dinamo Zagreb in the last 16 now means the majority of their remaining games this season come on the back of a free week.

That cannot be said of United, who travelled to Spain to take on Granada on Thursday.

“We are working well during this week,” Mourinho said. “For the wrong reasons, we were able to have a week to work.

“And that makes me positive. I enjoy the work this week. And I’m positive.

“I don’t look too much for the records. Because sometimes things go against the stats, or the tendencies, or what the records are saying.

“I go with confidence because I believe in us, I believe in the work we are doing this week to try to prepare the match the best we can. I believe, I don’t want to go to the match with other things in mind. Then, we are ready.”

Only Leicester have been awarded more penalties than United this season in the Premier League, while the Old Trafford club have been given four in their last three games against Spurs, though one was rescinded by VAR.

“I cannot go to a football match concerned,” Mourinho said. “I can’t. I don’t think it’s the right frame of mind to go to a football match concerned.

“So I’m not going concerned. And I don’t want my players (to be concerned). They have to go to a football match with positive feelings, enjoying the game and the difficulty of the game.”