Mourinho and Smalling preview Basel clash

The Reds trained in front of the cameras in the morning at the Aon Training Complex with all of the senior squad taking part except Eric Bailly, Michael Carrick and Phil Jones. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Marcos Rojo were all in the matchday party for the 4-1 win over Newcastle United last weekend and should be available again.

Jones has a "proper injury" that will rule him out of the European clash and also Saturday's Premier League encounter with Brighton so Chris Smalling starts. Ibrahimovic will be on the bench again following his cameo against the Magpies while Bailly has a chance to be fit for the Brighton game.

The manager was asked about Henrikh Mkhitaryan's exclusion on Saturday and replied: "There is always a question about someone who is not playing or is not in the best form. There are no questions about Anthony Martial and no questions about Chris Smalling.

"There are always questions about somebody in a certain moment, a certain match and a certain period that didn't play. The story is always the same. In some positions, when you don't have injuries, you have lots of options in other positions. In this moment, we have Pogba, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay so I can imagine, next week, you are going to ask - why is this player not playing?

"Micki is not playing because we had lots of options for that match. I decided to play Marcus Rashford and Martial together. For many weeks, the questions was - why do they not play together? Now the question is why is Micki not playing. The answer is every simple - until the international board change the rules, I can only start with 11!"

The boss also suggested he is comfortable with the state of the pitch after it was relaid, so he will have no problem playing his returning stars. Meanwhile, Jesse Lingard is one booking away from a suspension in the competition.

Basel will be without suspended midfielder Taulant Xhaka, with coach Raphael Wicky admitting: "We will miss him." Omar Gaber, Germano Vailati and Ricky van Wolfswinkel are also expected to be sidelined.

Chris Smalling, who was praised by Mourinho for his performances in defence in the absence of Phil Jones and Eric Bailly on occasions this season, followed his manager in speaking to the media at St. Jakob-Park.

The centre-back feels opposition defenders should be fearful of coming up against United's world-class attackers, declaring the firepower at Mourinho's disposal is frightening now Ibrahimovic is back in the fold.

"I think it would strike fear into myself if I was playing against them, and it strikes fear into most teams," Smalling told reporters. "Obviously we've got Paul [Pogba] back too, who's a very attacking midfielder, and along with Ibra and all those other names it just gives us so many options and no matter what game it is, no matter what competition it is, we've got a front three or four who can cause the opposition problems. So if we keep it tight at the back, more often that not, we're going to win the game."

The centre-back was also quizzed about his exclusion from the last England squad by coach Gareth Southgate.

"Was I surprised [to be left out]?" he said. "Yes, I was. But you don't play for one of the biggest clubs in the world for as long as I have, and probably won the most trophies, bar the Champions League, without being a top defender, who can play and defend.

"I think, this year, we've got one of the best defensive records and I'm very proud to be a part of that. While I'm playing under Jose, and I'm playing regularly, I'm happy with that.

"I play under one of the biggest, most successful managers in Jose, and he's only going to pick the best players. So, while I'm playing regularly and he's happy, and my season carries on like this, and we have a successful season and our team concedes very few goals - it maybe gives him no choice in the summer, but to pick me."