Jose Mourinho hails 'amazing' Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Wednesday 6 July 2016 06:43, UK
Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling and Marcus Rashford will head out to China with Manchester United later this month, but will not play in either of their games.
The United trio, who were all part of England's squad which crashed out of Euro 2016 after losing to Iceland in the last 16, will be spectators when United play Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City on July 22 and 25 respectively.
"I am taking the English boys that I was not expecting to come," new manager Jose Mourinho told MUTV.
"Fortunately they are coming. I will take them, but I am not going to play them.
"What is important is to work, to be together and to know each other - to live together for 24 hours every day during the week."
Mourinho, meanwhile, has heaped praise on new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and backed the former Sweden striker to thrive alongside the likes of teenage forward Rashford when he embarks on the "biggest challenge of his career" next season.
The former Paris Saint-Germain, Milan, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Ajax and Malmo star, who announced his international retirement after Sweden's exit from Euro 2016, joined United on a free transfer last week.
"Thirty-four is Ibrahimovic's age and 18 is Marcus Rashford's age," added Mourinho, who was in charge of Ibrahimovic at Inter in 2008/9.
"Thirty-four plus 18 divided by two is the perfect age for a football player. So our two strikers, they are exactly in the perfect age. So I think they can be an amazing complement for each other with their qualities.
"Zlatan is Zlatan. He wins year after year, his goal record is absolutely amazing and his passion for the game is incredible.
"His passion and ambition is why it is possible for a man of his age and CV to make, at this stage of his career, the decision to come for the biggest challenge of his career - the biggest club he has played for and most difficult competition he has played in.
"He is an amazing player and I think this is a beautiful thing - when you coach a player and a few years later you have him again, it is absolutely beautiful.
"It means the relationship was fantastic - from a personal point of view, and the professional relationship was great too.
"A few years later, we are back together and I'm so happy with that because I know what he can bring to us."
