Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho insists he will have no problem dropping Paul Pogba or Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The big-name pair have underperformed of late, and came in for criticism for their efforts in the 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Monday that leaves Mourinho’s side seventh in the Premier League.
Pogba in particular has underwhelmed since his world record £89million move from Juventus over the summer, scoring just once.
Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, hit the ground running with five goals in his first five games following his free transfer over the summer, but has scored just once in his last seven outings.
Mourinho claimed during his first spell with Chelsea that members of his team that romped to back-to-back titles were ‘untouchable’, but denied that United players like Pogba and Ibrahimovic fell into the same category.
‘That was 11 years ago,’ he said. ‘Different Premier League, different situation, the best team by far, that is a different story. Not untouchable.
‘Untouchable in our team has to be the spirit and commitment, the pride, the commitment to the club, respect to the fans. That has to be untouchable, not players.’
Although Ibrahimovic has seen his form drop off in recent weeks, the Swede’s influence is still being felt off the pitch according to Mourinho.
‘I am really happy. He is giving us exactly what we need from him, what we expect from him,’ the former Chelsea boss said.
‘He is quite beautiful for me to meet him five or six years later and to find the same, professionalism, ambition, desire to play, desire to compete. I couldn’t be happier. He is really fit, he is always ready to play. I couldn’t be happier with his influence in the dressing room. The young guys look at him and what they see is great for them.’
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