Jose: Without Zlatan we’d be in trouble

opponents. Somebody who saw our goals record would think we are a defensive team, a counter-attack team that doesn’t have ambition. But it is completely the opposite.

‘Rashford, Lingard, Mkhitaryan, Martial, see how may goals they score. Zlatan and [Juan] Mata are the ones with more goals. If it wasn’t for them the situation gets even more difficult.’

Ibrahimovic, who has now completed a three-match ban and will be available to face Everton on Tuesday, has scored 26 goals — the same amount as the four players mentioned by Mourinho put together.

Rashford has not scored a league goal since September while Mkhitaryan, the £28 million signing from Borussia Dortmund failed to beat Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster when put clean through and was later replaced by Wayne Rooney.

‘This is deja vu all season,’ said Mourinho, whose side missed the chance to press for a top-four place ahead of Manchester City visiting Arsenal today. ‘We’re not consistent. We miss easy chances. We have moments or periods when we push, but then a couple of players disappear for 10 minutes, when you don’t see them.’

Although United are traditionally a club that thrives on bringing through young talent, Mourinho made it clear he prefers to trust experienced and reliable players.

‘You always see the same people, the same guys in front, pulling the train. It’s disappointing,’ he said.

Another youngster, £27m England defender Luke Shaw, was not even given a place on the bench yesterday. And the treatment of Rashford is a high-risk strategy by Mourinho with the club placing great faith in the teenager as following in the footsteps of the Class of 92.