Jose Mourinho calls on Manchester United players to return from holiday

The likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard are enjoying post-World Cup breaks

Manchester United's pre-season tour of the United States has been a testing one (Getty)

Jose Mourinho has called on those members of his Manchester United squad still on holiday to report back ahead of schedule.

Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard and other United players who progressed to the latter stages of this summer’s World Cup are yet to take part in the club’s pre-season.

Mourinho has complained of a lack of available first-team players throughout United’s five-match tour of the United States.

Following Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Liverpool in Michigan, the Portuguese claimed that United’s travelling party was “not even 30 per cent” of his first-choice squad.

Marcus Rashford and Phil Jones, who were both with England at the World Cup, will return from their post-season breaks early this week and Mourinho wants others to do the same.

“I hope that the boys on deserved holidays take care of themselves a bit and that somebody wants to do what Rashford and Phil Jones decided to do, which is to be back a bit earlier to try to help the team because for the beginning of the season we are going to be in trouble,” he said after the defeat to Liverpool.

As well as Pogba, Lukaku and Lingard, Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini are also on holiday after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The likelihood of any of the five absentees featuring against Leicester City on 10 August - United's first game of the season and the opening fixture of the Premier League season - appears remote. Mourinho's hand may be forced, however, if injury problems mount.

Mourinho has already ruled Nemanja Matic out of the opener after the midfielder underwent surgery on an abdominal problem. Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw missed Saturday's defeat to Liverpool through injury, while Eric Bailly played through the pain barrier.

United travelled to Miami on Sunday for the final game of their Stateside tour, which ends against Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium in the early hours of Wednesday morning.