Mourinho denies need for a miracle

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has stressed he does not think the club need a miracle to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season – but he admits the target for the end of December has changed.

Results at the weekend, when Mourinho’s men drew 2-2 at Southampton, left seventh-placed United eight points behind fourthplaced Arsenal, who they face at Old Trafford this evening.

Mourinho was quoted as saying to Brazilian outlet Redetv after the game at St Mary’s, when referring to his ambitions for the rest of the season: “Try to win as many points as possible and try almost the miracle to end in fourth.”

When asked about that in a press conference yesterday, Mourinho said: “If I used that word [miracle], it is not what I feel at all.

“I think we are eight or nine points from fourth. I don’t think we need a miracle at all. I think we need a good run of results, I think we don’t need to waste points where we shouldn’t waste.”

For Arsenal, Mesut Ozil is unlikely to be available for the trip to Old Trafford.

Ozil did not train with the first team on Monday, and has been ruled out of Arsenal’s last two matches with a back problem.

Granit Xhaka is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the victory against Tottenham.