Jose Mourinho uses pre-prepared stats sheet to defend use of Marcus Rasford at Manchester United

The United manager arrived for his press conference ahead of this weekend’s clash with Watford with evidence to prove that Rashford is getting enough first-team football at OId Trafford

Jose Mourinho produced a pre-prepared list of statistics to defend his use of Marcus Rashford after facing criticism for not playing the young striker enough at Manchester United.

Jamie Carragher, the Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender, said earlier this week that Rashford may have to leave United in order to find regular first-team football and become a “world-class” player.

Romelu Lukaku has been Mourinho’s first-choice striker ever since his arrival from Everton in the summer of last year and Rashford’s opportunities have largely come out wide, on the left wing.

The arrival of Alexis Sanchez in January gave the 20-year-old yet more competition, though, with Rashford starting just eight times in all competitions since.

Mourinho, however, hit back at the suggestion that he does not use Rashford enough on Friday, and arrived at his press conference to preview Saturday’s trip to Watford with a sheet of figures to support his argument.

“I’m going to do something not for you but for the United fans because I think I hold myself to the United fans and for them I am going to spend two minutes with you,” he began.

“On the season 16-17, Marcus Rashford played 32 Premier League matches, 11 Europa League matches, including the final, three FA Cup matches, six League Cup matches including the final and the Community Shield.

“He had 53 appearances but if you want to take to the minutes of play, he played 3,068 and if you want to divide that by 90 minutes of the matches, he played 34.1 matches of 90 minutes in 16-17.

“In 17-18, he played 35 Premier League matches, eight in Champions League, five in FA Cup including the final, three League Cup matches and the European Super Cup final.

“He played a total of 52 matches with 2,676 minutes, if you divide that by 90, it gives 29.7 matches. So with me, in two seasons, he had 105 appearances, 5,744 minutes, 63.8 matches of 90 minutes, including five finals.

“So the people that is speaking about these minutes, I think they are a bit confused. Marcus Rashford is not Dominic Solanke, not Ruben Loftus-Cheek, not Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

“He is Marcus Rashford, Manchester United player, with an incredible number of appearances and an incredible number of minutes played at the highest level in the best possible competitions.

“So Manchester United supporters, for you and just for you, to know what we are doing with Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, with Jesse Lingard, with Scott McTominay, that’s what we are doing here.”

Rashford, who scored twice in two games for England during this week’s international fixtures, will not feature for United in Saturday’s evening kick-off against Watford.

The youngster serves the first instalment of a three-match suspension this weekend having been sent off in United’s last outing at Burnley.

Mourinho claimed – tongue-in-cheek – that despite being unable to play Rashford at Vicarage Road, he will still be criticised for leaving out the player by some in the media.

“Speaking about Marcus, I think I can expect that Sunday I’m going to be highly criticised for not playing him tomorrow because some of the boys are really obsessed with me,” he said.

“Some of them, they have I think a problem with some compulsive lies, so I can expect that Sunday some of them they will wake up in the morning and as always the first thing they think is Jose Mourinho.

“So I can imagine on Sunday I am going to be criticised for not playing Marcus but it is not my fault, he’s suspended, so probably you should remind them that he is suspended and cannot play.”

As well as Rashford, Mourinho will be without Marouane Fellaini for their trip to Vicarage Road after the midfielder suffered a back injury while on international duty.

Mourinho also ruled out Ander Herrera but claimed that Luke Shaw could play, despite suffering a concussion while playing in England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain last Saturday.

“Contrary to some news, to some opinions, by the protocol point of view and according to our doctor, he will be free to play,” Mourinho said.

“The only situation we have to analyse is if you are going to play him when, during the week, he was not training with the team or, even so, he decides to play.”