Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho tells England players they must travel to China for pre-season tour

Mourinho says he expects the likes of Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling and Marcus Rashford to travel to China despite going out of Euro 2016 just 10 days ago

Jose Mourinho will include Manchester United's England players for the pre-season tour of China (EPA)

Jose Mourinho has told Manchester United’s England players they will be expected to travel to China on the club’s pre-season tour later this month – despite only exiting Euro 2016 ten days ago.

Mourinho, whose first game in charge of United will be against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on July 16, began pre-season training on Thursday with those squad players who did not participate in Euro 2016 or the Copa America this summer.

While the likes of Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling and Marcus Rashford were absent due to post-Euro 2016 holidays, the England trio will travel to the Far East when United depart for their two-game tour of China on July 19.

United are due to face Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai on July 22 before facing neighbours Manchester City in Beijing three days later.

But while Rooney, Smalling and Rashford will be on the plane to China, Mourinho insists it will be as a squad bonding exercise rather than for action on the pitch.

"I'll take them (Rooney, Rashford and Smalling), but I'm not going to play them," Mourinho said.

Summer signings Eric Bailly, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are also set to travel to China, with the three new faces all likely to participate in at least one of the tour games – United also play Galatasaray in Gothenburg on their return from the Far East.

And after being reunited with Ibrahimovic following their time together at Inter Milan, Mourinho insists that the 34-year-old, who confirmed his international retirement following Sweden’s Euro 2016 group stage exit, will bring “amazing” qualities to United and the Premier League.

"Zlatan is Zlatan,” Mourinho said. “He wins year after year. His goal record is absolutely amazing, his passion for the game is incredible and it’s only possible with his passion and ambition, with his CV, to make the decision at this stage of his career, for the biggest challenge of his career.

"It’s the biggest club he’s ever played for and the most difficult competition he’s ever played for. He is an amazing player. I think it’s a beautiful thing when a coach has a player and, a few years later, has him again.

"It is beautiful, absolutely beautiful because it means the relationship was fantastic from a personal point of view and the professional engagement was great too.

“A few years later, we’re back together so I’m happy with that and I know what he can bring to us."