Chelsea boss Sarri rates Manchester United players best in league

three times at Stamford Bridge since Mourinho’s move to United after his December 2015 sacking by Chelsea and move to Old Trafford six months later.

United lost 4-0 on Mourinho’s first return as Conte’s side won the league in the Italian’s first season and claimed 1-0 wins in the FA Cup and league.

The Blues also beat United in May’s FA Cup final at Wembley in Conte’s last match, before Sarri’s appointment.

With Premier League top scorer Eden Hazard in sparkling form, United are expected to try to stop Chelsea playing.

But Sarri expects his team to keep improving to sustain their challenge for a top-four place, and maybe the title.

Sarri added: “In the future, we can improve and we need to improve. At the moment, we are giving too many opportunities to the opponents.”

Sarri has a settled first-choice line-up and Andreas Christensen is among those frustrated at being marginalised.

The Denmark defender’s father says Christensen will seek to leave if he does not feature more regularly by the end of the year, but Sarri gave the comments short shrift.

“The father? I am not interested,” Sarri said.

“In the first part of the season David (Luiz) and Antonio (Rudiger) have played really very well, so it’s not easy to change.”

Mourinho is looking for his first success at Stamford Bridge as United boss but said: “For me it’s another game.

“Would I celebrate like crazy my team’s goal at Stamford Bridge or my team’s victory? I don’t think so. I think I would try always to control myself and to respect the stadium and supporters that were my supporters for many years.”

Ander Herrera is set to return after missing the last three matches, while Diogo Dalot, Marouane Fellaini, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw all picked up minor injuries on international duty.

Having been publicly critical of Shaw on numerous occasions since arriving at the club, Mourinho has praised him this season, and he said: “Players are different and they react in different ways to the development process and Luke reacted in the best possible way.

“In his difficult moments, he was saying the same all the time, ‘I want to play for you, I want to play for United, I’m going to make it and I’m going to be the player you want me to be’. And he did it.

“Mentally he got stronger and of course the happiness of this season to play regularly and to feel the place was his place.”

Pictures: Getty/PA. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, left, is on top form, as shown by his September Player of the Month Award. Manchester United’s Ander Herrera is expected to return today after missing three matches.