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One more sleep!

Manchester United play host to the first game of the Premier League season on Friday night, when Leicester visit Old Trafford.

It's been an unhappy summer for Jose Mourinho, who has not seen the transfer targets he picked out arrive while all United's direct rivals not called Tottenham Hotspur have spent big in the race to catch champions Manchester City.

The Red Devils were last season's (distant) runners-up, 19 points adrift, and few observers have predicted they will be able to pass their Mancunian neighbours this time.

Here, in full, is a transcript of Mourinho's pre-match press conference, where he discussed Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and the season ahead.

Anthony Martial — why was he left behind when you went to Bayern Munich on Sunday and is he available tomorrow?

"He didn't have a pre-season, just three days of pre-season.

(Image: Man Utd via Getty) (Image: Getty)

"Nine days of pre-season where no training, no football, absolutely nothing [because he left the tour to attend the birth of his second child].

“He's in the group of players who didn't have a pre-season, it's as simple as that. You try to make a case and there is no case on it. For nine days he didn't train. so he's to start again.

“He had the first three or four days of training and the first couple of matches against the American team and the Mexican team, where he played 40 or 50 minutes. But when you are nine days without one minute of training or football, you go back and start with the other people. There is no story.”

Do you have the tools to compete if there are no more incomings?

"I have my players and I like my players. I like to work with my players, one lie repeated 1000 times is still a lie, but the perception of people is that it's true.

(Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City/Getty)

“When you repeat 1000 times that my relationship with my players is not good, a lie repeated 1000 times is still a lie. I like my players and my group. I enjoyed last season, the fight to finish where we finished and to manage the best position this club has had in five years. I'm going to enjoy this season.

“I know the words you want me to say or not to say. It depends on the music, but words don't come easy [at this stage].

“By the end of November or December you don't need words, you'll see by then which teams are candidates to win the Premier League. At the moment, words are not important. Let's play football and see by the end of November or December. You'll see then which teams are candidates."

What's the Paul Pogba situation?

"My perception of the situation? He arrived Monday, happy, proud, a desire to work. He worked amazingly well Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and he's one of the players that I have to speak to see how, physically and mentally, he feels.

(Image: Getty)

“But it's the same conversation as with [Ashley] Young, [Marouane] Fellaini, [Jesse] Lingard (Who were also involved in the World Cup until its final weekend). It's the same. To know how they feel physically, mentally — to try to give us a help [from the start of the season]. If they feel they can help us, 20 minutes, 10 minutes, half an hour. We don't have many solutions and want to go with everything we have.

“I see him (Pogba) very well but we need words with that small group to see if they can give us a hand. Important match tomorrow. Every point is important. We have to try and get the best out of every player."

The first three games going to be difficult then, with players who have had no pre-season?

"If they play tomorrow, then they play after [only] four days of training. One thing is what you can expect from the players with a proper pre-season and another is what you expect from a player with three or four days' training.

(Image: Man Utd via Getty)

“Of course I'd prefer to look to the bench and to have them rather than to have 16-year-old boys without experience and without the power to be a Premier League player at this stage.

“I'd prefer to have them, even if they are not top, top, top [condition]. I believe that other managers in the same situation have the same feeling. To have them at least on the bench is one more option."

Is the Leicester game an opportunity to put down an early marker?

“It is not an opportunity. An opportunity of what? It is not an opportunity.

“It is an important match, we would prefer to have a couple more days but the decision was to be first to play and that's it. We're ready.”

Who will be absent?

“[Sergio] Romero, he had a surgery after his injury, [Antonio] Valencia, he was injured in pre-season, Marcos Rojo, he was injured in the World Cup, [Diogo] Dalot had a surgery in Porto the end of April and not yet ready. Ander Herrera, injured against Bayern [in Sunday's friendly]. [Nemanja] Matic, injured in the World Cup and surgery a couple of weeks ago. I think that's it.”

(Image: Getty)

And the other World Cup players?

“They were back on Monday, trained Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and today, so you can imagine that they are not really fit and ready, but we have needs - the list that I gave you before of the injured players is an important list and today, after training, I will speak with that group of players because everybody is different physically and mentally and see how they feel they are and to understand to think how they can help or not help.

Can we expect deadline day signings?

“I'm not confident. I'm not confident and the market closes today. So it's time, at least for me, to stop thinking about the market because the market will be closed. I will have to focus on the players I have and in relation to this first couple of matches, maybe three matches because after Spurs there is a national team break [It's actually after their fourth match; Burnley away, on September 1st] and a couple of weeks to recover people and prepare people better, is to focus on players available. So I'm not thinking about that list I give you, I focus on what we have.”

So, no ins or outs?

“The information I have is no.”

Could there be a perception the club is going backwards?

“My view is that, first of all, it is difficult for me to believe we finished second when I listen, when I read — not much, but sometimes I do.

(Image: Getty)

“It is difficult to believe that we finished second because you are capable of making people that finish second look like they were relegated, and people who win nothing, finish below us, and you make them look like serial winners.

“It is difficult for me to understand we finish second, which I keep saying, that although I won eight championships and three Premier Leagues, I keep feeling the second place last season was one of my biggest achievements in the game.”

Targets for the season — and any tactical changes?

“The target is Leicester match and the tactics to be changed... In Championship Manager [computer game] you can just press a button. In football, you need time to work and players on the pitch to work and we didn't have them until now.

“I told you that during pre-season. It looked like I was saying something absolutely out of order, something crazy. I repeat: Pre-season is difficult when you don't have your players to work, that's as simple as that.”