Marouane Fellaini is not available to face Leicester, says Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho admits he is unsure when Marouane Fellaini will return for Manchester United, but the Belgian will miss their festive fixtures.

Michael Carrick will also miss United's run of four Premier League games in 10 days, having undergone a procedure to treat an irregular heart rhythm following September's Carabao Cup win against Burton.

United are already faced with the absences of injured defenders Antonio Valencia and Eric Bailly.

Fellaini remains in the midst of prolonged contract negotiations heading into the January transfer window, and Mourinho has previously admitted fears of losing the midfielder.

"(Fellaini) is not available," Mourinho said. "Michael Carrick, (also) no."

Asked whether he had a timescale on either midfielder, he said: "No, but not (available) for the Christmas period. Valencia is out, as you know. Eric Bailly is having surgery right now, or just finished or is still there. Who else? Nobody else, everything is OK."

Mourinho previously said he is concerned Fellaini will leave United when his contract expires at the end of the season Mourinho previously said he is concerned Fellaini will leave United when his contract expires at the end of the season

Mourinho said some of his players did not "even want to come to the office" at Ashton Gate following their shock 2-1

Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Bristol City, although the Portuguese has not written off any of his under-performing players on the back of that loss.

"No, I don't make decisions based on one game, on one feeling of one night," he said.

"Not at all. You know, first of all (the media) always like to speak about the loser. Probably you should speak more about the winner.

"What I told after the match: they were lucky but they fought a lot to try to be lucky, and it is one of the beautiful things that can happen in football when in cup matches a team from a lower division kills the giant.

"Football has now changed so much that the lower division is highly professional, so I think that can happen even more."