Jose Mourinho has told Paul Pogba to start shouldering the blame for his poor form for Manchester United.

The United manager said questions about Pogba’s struggles needed to be directed at the France midfielder and insisted the player’s current woes had nothing to do with his near 10-week lay-off earlier in the season.

Pogba has started just four of United’s last 11 games over the past 2½ months, during which time his relationship with Mourinho has become strained.

The 25 year-old scored in an impressive showing in France’s 3-1 win over Russia in St Petersburg on Tuesday, when he was subjected to racist taunts from Russian supporters, amid hope of an upturn in his form.

But Mourinho declined an invitation to praise Pogba’s performance for France before the Portuguese insisted he was doing everything he could to get the best out of his club-record £89 million signing and that it was time the player explained his disappointing displays for United.