Read Ruben's quotes on Bruno, Kobbie & more

The boss started his media briefing with a round-up of the team news, revealing that there are no fresh absentees, other than those we already knew about.

He was then asked about Villa's remarkable form, which has seen them win nine games in a row across all competitions, as well as topical issues surrounding Mainoo and Fernandes.

Read every word from Ruben, and watch the video, below...

You've got Casemiro out, the lads that have gone to the Africa Cup of Nations, is there anybody else unavailable for Sunday?
"No, I think everyone is well. We have one more training but today I think the rest of the guys are ready to go."

Does that mean De Ligt and Maguire could feature?
"No. I'm saying that nobody recovered, nobody [new] is out. Just the guys that you already know."

You've been asked a lot about Kobbie Mainoo in recent press conferences, it's kind of unavoidable not to ask you again in the wake of his half-brother wearing a 'free Kobbie Mainoo t-shirt' - have you seen that? Have you spoken to Kobbie about it?
"No. It was not Kobbie that wore the t-shirt. He is not going to start because of the t-shirt, but he's not going to the bench because of the t-shirt. He's going to play if we feel that he is the right guy to play. So, that is not an issue. I'm used to [it], I'm here for a year, it's not new, so we have to deal with that. But I'm not going to do something to Kobbie because someone in his family is doing something. He's going to be the same, if he's the right guy to play, he's going to play."

In terms of this game, Villa have won nine on the bounce, 15 out of 17. Do you think they are genuine Premier League title contenders?
"Everything can happen. I think they have a manager with a lot of experience. You can see when you watch Villa play, you can sense it's a very mature team. Understands, [Unai Emery] doesn't panic when he's losing, he doesn't feel overwhelmed when he's winning, he can control the emotion all the time. I think they are a very strong team, if they are going to fight until the end [for the title]? I don't know. But they are capable of that."

In terms of United, at the moment, only City have scored more goals. You've probably conceded more than you wanted to. How do you find the balance between attack and defence?
"We watched the game again against Bournemouth, we can avoid those goals. It was a lot of transition, we have to put everything on the line when we are defending. Sometimes we are not doing that. We need to work on some details to suffer less goals because, in the end, it's going to make the difference."

To go back to Kobbie, have you had conversations with him about this situation this week? Because it comes on the back of him playing the most minutes he has in recent weeks?
"And he played really well. So, that is the important thing. My office is always open, nobody went there this week, so I think everything is normal and we are ready to go to Villa."

You talked about being here at the club for a year and having to deal with situations like this, how have you found that off the back of, also this week, Bruno's interview came out with some quotes. I know he did another interview with the club as well, with Rio Ferdinand, but it's just another situation I suppose you have to deal with?
"The difference is that he spoke with the club before that interview and said what he is feeling. Of course, we can avoid these things because we already know the noise but he talked with the board and I think everything is clear."

One of the things he did say in the interview that he did with the Portuguese Federation is that he didn't think that everybody defended the club the way he does, almost as though some people don't care as much as he does. Is that fair, do you think?
"I don't know if it's fair, he just spoke about his feelings and he needs to answer to that, not me. He is an example that gives everything, he puts everything on the line in every training and every match. In that department, he is special. He has that feeling, we need to step up and also to have that feeling. So, we need to ask him because he is a big example in the group."

He's the captain, the biggest person in the dressing room, it would be a concern if that was really what he felt...
"He spoke his feelings. I think, again, when I watch Bruno training and playing, he's a special character. I think the numbers, the amount of games prove he is a different player."

When we saw you in the summer, you spoke about organising a leadership group because there were things that ended up on your desk that you perhaps didn't want to end up on your desk and it could just be solved in the dressing room. Is this thing with Kobbie one of those things that you maybe don't necessarily have to get involved in but maybe the leadership group could pull him to one side and say: 'Look...'
"No, it's continuing a little bit, everything on my desk. Every problem in our football club, it's still me who has to deal with that, but it will take time. But again, my door is always open and there was not Kobbie. The job of Kobbie is to train and to play, I felt he did really well this game [against Bournemouth]. So, that is the most important thing for me. If he has to play, he's going to play. If he's not going to play, he's not going to play."

I don't know if you saw what Chido Obi and Harry Amass posted on social media in the week, what do you make of that? It seems quite petty...
"I think it is a little bit the feeling of entitlement we have in our club. Sometimes, strong words is not bad words. Sometimes, difficult moments are not bad things for the kids. We don't need to be always with accolades in everything, in every situation. That's why you guys talk about a lot of players nowadays, that they speak, they go against the clubs and everything happens because they feel entitlement. Then you have legends of the club who say if you don't play, leave, because everyone is wrong. No, let's think about... let's stay, let's fight, let's overcome, maybe the manager is wrong. So, I have that feeling all the time that we need to fight against this feeling. Sometimes, I'm the first one to say I'm failing this club inside the pitch. I have that feeling, we are not performing the way we should be. But outside the pitch, I guarantee I am not failing this club. So, I think it's something in our club. We talk about the players sometimes forget what it means to play for Manchester United, we as a club sometimes forget who we are and that is the feeling I have. I understand everything, it's the environment, it's the moment of the players, the kids, they feel entitled. They feel free to respond to the manager with a picture. My office is open, nobody is coming to talk to me and that is the way we can solve things. So, I think we need to change first as a club and then everything is going to change."

So, would you appreciate it if they actually did come in to you and seek an explanation rather than going on Instagram?
"Everything [would be appreciated]. Again, I didn't say nothing wrong [last week about Chido and Harry]. I just spoke about how the luck of playing for Manchester United [is]. Sometimes you play for Manchester United and go see different realities and you understand that football can be so different, and that you are really lucky to be in Manchester United. That was my point but, again, let's move on and in time I think these things will change."

Just following on, I think a lot of fans would agree with you on those points. Are you still surprised that those problems are still coming onto your desk? Are you saying you hope the leadership team, some of the senior players would take a bit more responsibility at this stage for some of those things? Also, can I just ask... Sir Alex Ferguson has done an interview in Bahrain and he said it's not easy what you are facing, he likened it to what Liverpool faced when they won the title in 1990 and went 30 years before they won it again. He's saying it could be another 10 or 11 years before United win this title and I wondered what you thought about that as well?
"He understands football more than me, especially English football. I think we will not take that long to win a league and I don't know which manager is going to be here but I truly believe we can fight for the title in the next years and I think it is not going to take so many years but you never know. In relation of leadership, it's the moment of the club and you have to fight all the fights here inside, and I'm here to do that. Until I'm [not] here, I will fight, I will not back down and I have to solve everything."

You can't do everything though, you are going to need players who pull other players into line at times, surely? You're going to need that dressing room to help police itself?
"We are improving as a team, we are improving as a group and we are going to improve in these small things. That will make a difference even to suffer goals. If we are a different group, we are going to suffer less goals but we are scoring more, so let's think about the positives and let's think about the Villa game."