Mourinho running out of Luk

JOSE MOURINHO lost Romelu Lukaku last night – and then lost the plot.

Mourinho blamed referee Craig Pawson for costing Manchester United victory – and laid the blame for the Reds’ miserable December at the door of incompetent officials.

With striker Lukaku suffering a concussion that will keep him out of the next two games, the United boss’ mood couldn’t have been any

darker. And he’s also been hit with the news Zlatan Ibrahimovic (knee) is out for a month.

The Portuguese felt Pawson blundered when he failed to spot a first-half handball by Saints’ skipper Maya Yoshida.

And Mourinho also called out officials Michael Oliver and Jon Moss for costing United points in the derby defeat against Manchester City and the draw at Leicester.

Mourinho said: “Craig is a very good referee, one of the best not just in England but also in Europe. But tonight he has made a very bad decision that has punished us. I saw it on the touchline and it was very clear. But I was 50 metres away from the decision so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Then when I see players like Juan Mata reacting so hysterically, I knew there was no doubt.

“I saw it at half-time and it was a penalty – like the foul on Rashford against Leicester and the foul on Herrera against City. The three referees’ performances in those games were good, but they were unlucky decisions for us. We’ve been punished.”

United will also go to Everton tomorrow without Lukaku, who was briefly knocked out after a clash of heads with Wesley Hoedt.

OUCH: Lukaku is taken off on a stretcher after the clash