Senior sources at Manchester United have dismissed as “nonsense” claims the club have approached Zinedine Zidane over the prospect of replacing Jose Mourinho as the pressure builds on the manager, with staff members now openly discussing when his reign may come to an end.

United have now made their worst start to a Premier League season after a miserable 3-1 defeat at West Ham that leaves them with 10 points from seven games, and they are already nine points adrift of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table.

Zidane is interested in the United job and is a free agent since leaving Real Madrid in May after delivering a third successive Champions League crown but United have rubbished reports that they have approached the Frenchman.

Mourinho has retained the backing of the United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward despite the poor start and Tuesday’s Carabao Cup loss to Derby County, but members of staff at the club are thought to have discussed whether he can ride out the current slump.

The United manager - who on Saturday dropped Alexis Sanchez from his squad - has endured a very public collapse in his relationship with record signing Paul Pogba and substituted the France midfielder shortly after the hour mark after an ineffective performance.