While the squad will be reviewed in January, the intention for now is that Mata, the club’s fourth most expensive signing of all time, will not be sold before Wednesday’s deadline. He has accepted that he will have a more limited role in the side, although he did start the first game of the season against Bournemouth and last Friday’s win over Southampton. Mourinho’s first choice for the right-wing role so far occupied by Mata will be Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the £26 million signing from Borussia Dortmund, but he believes that there is also a role for the Spanish midfielder to play.

The United manager insists on his wide attacking players helping out with defensive duties too and it is in that regard that Mata has proved a problem to him in the past.