Situation not amazing against Leicester City, says Jose Mourinho

The Premier League might still be a couple of weeks away, but Jose Mourinho’s tantrums are already at work.

The Portuguese hasn’t exactly set the tone nicely ahead of the opening day fixture against Leicester City, openly admitting that the situation isn’t amazing for his side.

To be fair to him, it indeed looks very grim for the Reds. With Fred, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Marouane Fellaini, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Marcos Rojo, David De Gea, Nemanja Matic and Victor Lindelof all set to miss the first two weeks of action, he’d have few options to choose from when he faces Claude Puel’s full strength XI.

Here’s what he had to say:

"“When I look to Leicester City, if I am not wrong, only Maguire and Vardy were in the World Cup, the final phase, because (Kasper) Schmeichel was, but back sooner.“I think a team that is working for six weeks minimum, with all the players except one central defender and one striker that can join in the last week and probably be available, I think that is clear, a much better situation for them.“When I look to Brighton, the second game, I don’t think they have any player that is not doing a very good pre-season with lots of matches and training all together.“So, of course, against Leicester and Brighton, the situation is not amazing for us.“I would say the third match (against Tottenham at home on August 27), playing against a team in a similar situation as us, I think then after three weeks is okay.“But for the first two matches we have to fight for the points, because we need the points. So that is what we are going to do with the players we have available.”"

Mourinho’s not too wrong, is he? There is absolutely no doubt that Leicester will be up against a visibly weakened United. Barring Brazilian midfielder Fred, they haven’t made any major signing as yet, something that we aren’t used to seeing.

It’ll only benefit the Visitors, though, who’d be chasing their first win at the Theatre of Dreams since January 1998, when a Tony Cottee goal proved enough to stun Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary team.

The last time Leicester faced United away, they lost 2-0, as late strikes from Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini shattered any hopes of getting anything out of the game.

Next: Stefano Sturaro’s agent confirms Leicester City offer

Almost four months and half as many managers later, a ten-man City then drew 2-2 with United at the King Power Stadium, and it was the one and only Harry Maguire who headed in a late equaliser to rescue a point.