Manchester United correspondent Rob Dawson grades Jose Mourinho and how his side have performed so far this season. As rumours of Ronaldo's desire to leave Madrid swirl, the FC guys believe that a return to Man United would make most sense.
MANCHESTER -- Jose Mourinho has confirmed Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo have been included in Manchester United's squad for this weekend's clash with Newcastle.
Ibrahimovic and Rojo have been missing since April after suffering knee ligament injuries in the same game against Anderlecht in the Europa League quarterfinal second leg.
Pogba has not played since suffering a hamstring tear against Basel on Sept. 12.
Pogba and Ibrahimovic have returned to full training while Rojo played 45 minutes for the under-23s against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, and Mourinho has revealed all three are in contention to feature against Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Mourinho told a news conference on Friday: "All three selected for the match. Paul, you can clearly see Manchester United this season before Paul's injury and after Paul's injury.
"There are qualities in our football that influence our approach in matches, with Pogba and without Pogba, that's as simple as that.
"Zlatan, last season we played with him every minute almost until he was injured, this season we learn how to play without him, but he's a very important player for us and of course welcome back.
"Of course, incredible personality to fight such an important injury. We were all saying in 2017 he will be back, but one thing is Dec. 31 2017 and another thing is mid-November.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba's returns represent a major boost for Manchester United.
"He was as an injured player the same super professional he is when he's fit.
"So fantastic work, same as Marcos, is an important injury too, a big surgery, he played with the young boys on Wednesday and is fine, is confident, is also ready.
"Paul is obviously not the same dimension, was not a surgical situation but was also bad and all three are back."
Ibrahimovic, who turned 36 last month, scored 28 goals in 46 games last season before his campaign was ended by injury.
United signed Romelu Lukaku as a replacement and Mourinho has suggested he could soon use the pair in tandem up front.
He added: "Good players can play together. Is easy to play together.
"Zlatan made a full recovery, now you cannot expect him to play 90 mins or consecutive matches like he did all his career, now he needs time to be back for his level, his fitness, his confidence, everything, his sharpness, but, by the clinical point of view, it is fantastic to be ready."
If United avoid defeat against Newcastle it will extend their unbeaten run at Old Trafford to 38 games in all competitions -- matching a run between December 1998 and April 2000.
United have also not conceded a Premier League goal at home since April.
Mourinho, though, is only interested in getting back on track after defeat to Chelsea in their last match before the international break.
He said: "We don't play for records and if you concede a goal but we score two at least I'm happy.
"The objective is to win matches at home, the objective is not to concede goals, of course if you don't concede you are closer to winning matches but that is not an obsession for us.
"The record means absolutely nothing for us. We lost the last match, we need points. I know the way Newcastle plays and the way Rafael Benitez prepares his teams. We need to get back to the points we need."
Rob is ESPN FC's Manchester United correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @RobDawsonESPN.
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Source: espn.co.uk