No group matches for Zlatan

MANCHESTER. — Jose Mourinho does not know when Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return to action, but he has ruled him out of Manchester United’s Champions League soccer group games.

Ibrahimovic (35) rejoined United on a one-season contract earlier this week, four months after undergoing career-saving knee ligament surgery.

But while the Swedish striker has been busy talking up his return on social media, Mourinho does not expect to be able to call upon him until next year.

“He will not be ready for the group phase of the Champion League. I don’t think there is any chance of that,” said Mourinho, whose side face Benfica, Basle and CSKA Moscow in Group A.

“I’m not thinking Zlatan to play any part of the group phase. Hopefully he can play in the knock-out phase, but for that we need to finish top two.

“I don’t want to think about it. I don’t even ask, speak about it or with the medical team about it.

“He will be an extra man for us in the second part of the season.

“When I say second part, we say January after Christmas, when the transfer window re-opens, but I have no idea at all.”

Ibrahimovic, who scored 28 goals in his first Old Trafford campaign, had been linked with a move to Major League Soccer and Mourinho said his desire to rejoin United showed his ambition was fully intact. — AFP.