Mourinho: I'll be the first to know if Ibrahimovic is leaving Man Utd

If Zlatan Ibrahimovic has agreed to join LA Galaxy then it is news to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

Published : Feb 02, 2018 20:21 IST

Jose Mourinho is adamant that he will be the first to know if Zlatan Ibrahimovic agrees to leave Manchester United to join LA Galaxy.

The Sweden great has only made five Premier League appearances this season after suffering a major knee injury in April, and is currently sidelined as he continues to work towards full fitness from that setback.

United extended Ibrahimovic's stay for a second season in August despite his injury problems, but reports emerged this week that the former Barcelona and Inter striker has agreed a move to MLS.

However, Mourinho says that veteran Ibrahimovic has had plenty of opportunities to tell him if that is the case and is taking his silence that no news is forthcoming.

"I don't speak with players about media news," he told a news conference ahead of United's Premier League contest against Huddersfield Town.

"I see him every day, I'm not working directly with him but for example I was with the fitness coaches watching his work, he's with me before and after training and never mentioned anything to me. 

"Not an opinion, comment, nothing at all, so I presume nothing is true in the news because I would probably be first to know from him, so I presume nothing."

United fell 15 points adrift of leaders Manchester City with a poor showing in Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, a match that saw Marouane Fellaini brought on as a substitute and taken off again due to a knee injury.

Mourinho says it is not a long-term issue, but is problematic ahead of a busy run that includes the return of the Champions League, where United face Sevilla in the last 16.

"It is not an ACL [anterior cruciate ligament injury], not a complete rupture of any structure of the knee not as far as that," he added.

"But we need him, the Champions League is arriving, lots of tough match and probably we will lose him for a few weeks – two, three, four? I don't know."

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