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Jose Mourinho pulls out of first Old Trafford appearance since becoming Manchester United manager

Mourinho was expected to manage an England XI in Sunday's Unicef charity match but will no longer take part

Jack de Menezes

Thursday 02 June 2016 07:44 BST

Jose Mourinho has pulled out of this weekend's Unicef charity match at Old Trafford (Getty)

Jose Mourinho has pulled out of his first match at Old Trafford after deciding against managing an England XI during this weekend’s Soccer Aid charity match at the home of Manchester United.

Old Trafford will stage the Unicef match between and England side and a Rest of the World XI, managed by Premier League title-winning manager Claudio Ranieri. Mourinho was due to take charge of the England team, having agreed to the match before he was named Manchester United manager last Friday, but it now appears that he has had a change of heart.

According to The Sun, Mourinho will still train the side at a charity event in Fulham on Thursday and Friday, but he will not appear in the dugout during the match on Sunday as he wants to concentrate on his new duties at United, and believes that the focus should be on the charity match itself and not his presence.

United have not pressured Mourinho into the decision after allowing him to make his own mind up, but the Portuguese is understood to be focused on the task at hand in succeeding Louis van Gaal and trying to get United back into the Champions League as well as challenge for the Premier League title next season.

Mourinho is also pressing on with the club’s transfer plans, although executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is expected to front the club’s business this summer as Mourinho goes about trying to strengthen the squad.

Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

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1/11Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

John Stones

Mourinho's admiration for the Everton defender is well known with the Portuguese coach understood to have been behind Chelsea's bids for the England international last summer. Everton refused to relent back then but an offer of even more money from Manchester United might be too tempting to turn down.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas was understood to be on Manchester United's radar when he left Barcelona for Chelsea and the Spain international is of the quality that would improve United's current squad. Despite the reports that the former Arsenal player was among those who forced Mourinho out at Stamford Bridge, he was one of the few to speak publicly in glowing terms of Mourinho. "Thank you for all you have done for me," he wrote on Twitter. "I owe you a lot and we will all miss you. Good luck in the future."

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Gareth Bale

Manchester United hold a long-term interest in Bale and Mourinho's arrival will only strengthen their determination to sign the Wales international. It's been suggested that the Real Madrid forward has been put off moving to Old Trafford due to the uncertainty surrounding the club, but the appointment of Mourinho would go a long way to dispelling fears that Manchester United are a club in flux.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Alvaro Morata

Alvaro Morata has caught the eye of Arsenal, Chelsea and United, but the appointment of Mourinho as manager could give the Manchester club the advantage. Any move for Morata is likely to involve Real Madrid, and Mourinho's good relationship with his former club would help smooth over negotiations.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Raphael Varane

Manchester United spent much of last summer pursuing Sergio Ramos, but a repeat attempt to sign the Real Madrid centre-back appears highly unlikely if Mourinho takes charge due to their tempestuous relationship during their shared time at the Bernabeu. A move for Ramos' fellow centre-back Varane does seem plausible though, with Mourinho signing the defender from Lens and giving him his opportunity at Real Madrid.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Paul Pogba

Who doesn't want Paul Pogba? Despite claims the midfielder will move to Barcelona in the summer, nothing has been confirmed and while that remains the case the France international will continue to be linked with big-money moves elsewhere, including a return to Manchester United. Chelsea reportedly made a huge bid for the 22-year-old last summer, confirming that Mourinho is a fan.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Andre Gomes

The Valencia midfielder emerged on United's radar before Mourinho was linked with the club, but he appears to be a fan of the 22-year-old. One problem will be Valencia's valuation, which currently sits in excess of £40m.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Luka Modric

Mourinho revealed that he tried to sign Modric for Chelsea in 2014, confirming that a reunion with the player he worked with at Real Madrid appeals. It was Mourinho who signed the Croatian from Tottenham in 2012 and with the 30-year-old still operating at the top level on a consistent basis, he would certainly have something to offer Manchester United.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Joao Mario

Joao Mario is wanted by Mourinho after the Sporting Lisbon midfielder impressed his compatriot. Valued at around £27m, the 23-year-old would be an expensive acquisition for United, but he could follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo in heading to Old Trafford from the Portuguese club.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Ezequiel Garay

Garay worked under Mourinho at Real Madrid, but while he is being linked with a move to United, it's uncertain if he would be considered a first-team starter. Garay was sold by Mourinho to Benfica in 2011, having failed to impress the Portuguese, and he could be brought in to try and add the defensive depth that United are clearly lacking.

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Who might Mourinho try to sign at Man Utd?

Mauro Icardi

The Inter Milan captain has reiterated his commitment to the Italian side, but offers are still expected to be made for the 23-year-old with both United and Arsenal linked with the striker as well as Chelsea.

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The former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto manager returned to his homeland this week to give a lecture in Lisbon on high performance football coaching at the Faculdade de Motricidade Humana [Faculty of Human Kinetics] University, where he posed for a picture with the class and uploaded it to his new Instagram account.

With Mourinho now unavailable for Sunday’s match, Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce his poised to step up from his role as Mourinho’s assistant, with the likes of Jamie Carragher, Jermain Defoe and Robbie Fowler all part of the England squad for Sunday’s match.

Mourinho tells Man Utd fans to forget the last 3 years

Mourinho’s first match in charge of United is scheduled for 22 July against Borussia Dortmund as part of their Asia pre-season tour, where they take on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side three days later.

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