Manchester United vs Burnley - Henrikh Mkhitaryan needs time to settle

Posted Saturday, October 29, 2016 by PA

Jose Mourinho says it will take time for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to cope with the rigours of Premier League life, but has no doubt the attacking midfielder will flourish at Manchester United.

So outstanding for Borussia Dortmund in recent seasons, expectations were naturally high when the 27-year-old pitched up at Old Trafford in a B#26.3million deal.

Mkhitaryan, the third signing of the summer, penned a four-year deal with the option to extend for a fifth, but after just a matter of months there are questions over the Armenian's future.

While a thigh injury played a part in restricting him to just 104 minutes of Premier League football, his return to fitness has not brought with it a recall to the squad.

Mkhitaryan's omission from Wednesday's EFL Cup win against Manchester City - the last team he lined-up against back on September 10 - fuelled speculation about his position, but Mourinho insists it is merely a matter of sharpness keeping him out.

"He's not injured," the United boss said. "Sometimes I confuse the meaning 'fit' in the English language.

"'Fit sometimes you have the view is if you are not injured and sometimes 'fit' is in great condition and ready to compete. That's a different thing for me.

"In Portuguese, we use different words for the different situations.

"Mkhitaryan is not injured, he is training with the team 100 per cent.

"Some players, their profile they are really adapted to come and to play.

"Some other players need more time - time to feel it, to feel the intensity and the aggression, the game without the ball, the competitiveness.

"Many times players come from different countries. The realities are different in the style of football is different and the realities are different, for sure, in terms of competitiveness.

"There is no other country where it doesn't matter the team you play against, you have to play at the highest level because if you don't you have no chance.

"Does Mkhi needs time to become the top player we know he can be? Yes, I think he needs."

Sean Dyche is not being suckered in by the "noise" surrounding Manchester United.

United go into the game buoyed by victory over neighbours Manchester City in the EFL Cup but still looking to put right last week's 4-0 thrashing by Chelsea in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have won just four of their nine league games under Mourinho, and head into the weekend in a disappointing seventh place, but Dyche does not buy into suggestions that there are serious structural issues.

"For all the noise that's been made about the ups and downs of Manchester United over the past couple of weeks they're still a fine side," he said.

"I look at the manager, the club, the players they've got and they're still a super strong group of people operating at the highest level.

"I'd be very surprised if this group of players is not still a very, very strong group and a group to be reckoned with over the course of the season."

Dyche brings up his fourth anniversary as Clarets boss this weekend, enough to place him eighth in the Football League's longevity table and third in the top flight.

And he puts some of the recent inconsistency at United down to changes in the dugout, rather than any flaws in Mourinho's methods.

"No matter who you are it's still a challenge to get a new group and get it to operate how you want it to operate," he said.

"I think he'll still be piecing together what his top team is and how he wants them to operate. I don't know him but I can imagine he's doing that.

"The players likewise, getting used to different ways of playing and training, different things he wants from them.

"Sometimes it's hand in glove and it happens very, very quickly, sometimes it doesn't.

"Look at (Jurgen) Klopp going into Liverpool, I don't think that was instant there. (Chelsea manager Antonio) Conte three weeks ago was getting questioned, wins two big games - a big one against Manchester United - and the questions disappear.

"Pep (Guardiola) is being spoken about as being on his worst run in, probably, ever. He's still finding out how it works.

"These are top, top people with top players but I just think it takes time."

Burnley have striker Andre Gray available again following a four-game ban for offensive social media posts and Dyche must consider whether he reverts to 4-4-2 or continues with a five-man midfield.