Manchester United's Jose Mourinho not confident of new signings before deadline

Mourinho did confirm that Alexis Sanchez, who was a highlight for United over pre-season, is fit and firing though.

United start the Premier League season at home to Leicester City on Friday and Mourinho took the opportunity at his pre-match news conference to take a swipe at what he views as fatalistic commentary on his reign from the media, in contrast with praise awarded to unnamed counterparts who fail to lift major honours.

"I don't think just because they haven't signed a centre-back we should be sat here thinking 'we'll let Manchester United off the hook they shouldn't be challenging this year.' A club thats spent the money they've spent in the past few seasons and the players they've got".

Part of this can be explained by the fact one of the 20 Premier League clubs - Tottenham - saw no incomings, the first time this has happened since the summer transfer window was introduced in 2003.

United finished as runners-up last season, 19 points behind Manchester City, and Mourinho has already made it clear that his team needs more players if they are to overhaul their neighbours.

"I will focus on the players that are available, so I am not even thinking about that list of injured players I gave you, (Nemanja) Matic, (Antonio) Valencia and so on".

'But looking at the squad Jurgen Klopp has assembled, I will be amazed if Liverpool don't push them very, very close.

"They returned on Monday".

"I will have to focus on the players I have in relation to the first three matches, because after Spurs there is an worldwide break and I have a couple of weeks to recover people and prepare them better". "The list of injured players is an important list and, after training, I will speak with that group of [World Cup] players because everybody is different, physically and mentally, to see how they feel they are and to understand how they can help or not help". We go with everything we have in that first match.

"In pre-season it looked like I was saying something absolutely out of order, it looked like I was saying something insane", he added.

'You are capable of making people who win nothing and finish below us look like serial winners. "I keep saying that I won eight championships and three Premier Leagues but I keep feeling that second last season was one of my biggest achievements in the game".