José Mourinho feared the worst when he lost both his central defenders in the middle of last month but misfortune for Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling turned into an opportunity for Phil Jones. In something approaching desperation Mourinho threw a player who had been injured for most of the season and Manchester United have not looked back since.

Should Jones start against West Ham on Sunday, and he deserves to, it will be his fourth game in a row, something Mourinho admits he thought might never happen. “I don’t know when he last did that,” the United manager said.

“His condition looks very good and his confidence is improving. Phil is playing really well, no mistakes in 90 minutes, and I’m really happy for him because so many people had him down as injury prone and believed it would be hard for him to get back to his best level.

“I have to confess that when he was injured again at the beginning of the season even I was feeling that fear but he has put in some great performances in the past weeks to give us the stability we need after losing Bailly and Smalling.”

It might be argued Jones has his limitations in an era when central defenders are supposed to be good with the ball at their feet and able to play through midfield, though Mourinho is firmly old school on that subject. “For me the most important quality in a central defender is the ability to defend,” he said.

“Sometimes defenders now think the most important ability is to build from the back. It is not. The most important thing is to defend and that’s what I like about Phil Jones. He likes to defend, he wants to play as a defender. That is the main thing. Then, if you can add quality in the build-up, you become a very good player.”

Mourinho seemed to have John Terry in mind when sketching out his blueprint for the ideal defender, though he is wary of direct comparisons. “They are different players and it is difficult to compare,” he said. “Phil is faster than John, John is better in the air than Phil. They are different players but what they have in common is that they enjoy defending and that’s what I like.

“I think Phil has a good personality too. He showed that at Swansea in a moment when he was not really ready to play. He stepped in because we were having difficulty filling the positions and showed what he could do. Now with a couple of weeks of football and training he looks very sharp and the team is safe. I know he was very highly rated at Blackburn Rovers when he was younger and it is good to have him back after so many injuries.”

Jones apart, the return that seems to have settled United down most in recent weeks is that of Michael Carrick, who has also played an unprecedented three games in a row under his new manager. There is no doubt that Carrick brings stability and discipline to the rear of midfield in a way that enables Paul Pogba to play practically as a second No10 further forward, though at 35 the former West Ham player cannot be regarded as the future and is approaching the stage where his appearances would normally have to be carefully rationed.

With Wayne Rooney also enjoying a splendid renaissance in the Europa League last week, the 4-0 thumping of Feyenoord was not only one of United’s most convincing performances of the season but it gave some substance to Mourinho’s theory that his side had been unlucky to he held to a draw by Arsenal in the previous game. “The two performances were just as good but one had goals at the end of moves and that made the difference,” he said.

After three successive home draws in the league it could be that United’s rising confidence results in some Premier League opponent receiving a hiding on the Feyenoord scale, though Mourinho is not one to get carried away by a single handsome victory. “It would be nice to beat someone by four or five goals,” he said. “But I think it would be even better to put together four or five victories.”