Every word from Ruben's press conference

Here's every word from part one of the boss's press conference...

Afternoon Ruben, happy new season, easy question to start with, team news ahead of the weekend, how are Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez?

"Nous [Mazraoui] and Licha [Martinez] are out. They cannot play in this game. Josh [Zirkzee] recovered, Andre [Onana] recovered, they are options for this game, we will see."

First time we've got to speak to you since Sesko has joined the club, what do you feel about his potential and this front three - how exciting is that now?

"First of all, we have more than three. They are fighting for the places. I'm really happy. I think he has great potential. In everything he does. He can play different types of football. He's going to feel that the Premier League is really aggressive, he's going to learn, but he has a great potential and I can see Ben being a striker for Manchester United for a lot of years. That's why we paid so much money to have a striker that will have his history in our club."

Is he able to start this game?

"Of course. We didn't have a lot of time but he's ready. First of all, physically, he's ready. That is a big component in our league. Then, he's really smart. Every detail he asks, he's a guy that is always thinking. He spends all afternoon here working on his fitness, so he's ready to play, we will see if he's going to start."

Ruben, you said in the USA there were times you set off for games last season and you feared what was going to happen. Are you now confident you know what your team is going to deliver on Sunday?

"It's hard to know, because we cannot change everything in four weeks. But we are better. I know we are training better and harder. So I know that we are more prepared to cope with the demands of the game. We have new players, that we need to understand in the real game, what they are capable of doing in the moment. But I'm really more confident, that is clear. I'm more confident in this moment. But, again, we cannot change everything in four weeks, but step by step we are going to be a better team, but, of course, I'm more confident."

Have you set the team targets this season?

"We want to return to Europe. But it's hard as a Man United coach to say one thing like that. But we need to be realistic with our fans, that we are going to have to fight a lot because there are lots of good teams who have had more time than us together. But we are going to fight for it. We want to improve, we need to focus game-by-game. If we are thinking how we're going to finish the season, it's a problem. Let's focus game-by-game -- we want to win against Arsenal. That is the main focus."

You obviously know Viktor Gyokeres very well from Sporting. When you signed him he hadn't even played in the Premier League, he went on to score 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting. Did you see something there that other people hadn't seen? Did he develop quicker and better than you could have expected?

"That is a question for Mikel, but Viktor is in a different league, the physicality is different. In Sporting, they have a very good group of scouting, because we get from that the players that they can buy and then sell to survive. I think he's a very good player, he's going to give different characteristics. It's going to be different if we face in the beginning of the game if we face Viktor or Havertz, for example. So, we need to be prepared for that, but it's not a surprise to watch Viktor in a big club in England."

Rasmus didn't get off the bench against Fiorentina, there's the potential that he might be sold this window. What's his situation and is he still part of your plans for selections?

"He's one more option. We will see. We are focused on this game, and Rasmus is still our player."

Just on the midfield situation, do you want a new midfielder to come in?

"I'm really happy with our players. They are working really well, we have different players for that position, so we are prepared to win any game with our players."

Are there any players who could potentially step into midfield who aren't seen as out-and-out midfielders, do you think?

"Maybe Mason Mount is a player that I think can play in that position if we want something different. But then we are going to find out [during] the season. We have players to cope to win games in the Premier League."

You said a couple of times last season that Mikel had a lot of time to mould his team and they're getting results now, and you also said you might not get that time because this is Manchester United. As you're starting the season, how do you assess your position? You've said lots of players have got a clean slate, do you feel it's a clean slate for you as well, that all of last season can just be forgotten and you should be allowed to have the time this season...

"I learned a lot last season. One of the things that I learned is that I don't need to focus a lot in the future. That doesn't matter. I don't care. I just want to win against Arsenal, to focus on Arsenal, and I need to live day-by-day like my players, and focus on each game. I learned that. Everything that gets a little bit of noise to our team, I have to take out of the picture, so I just prepare to coach my team against Arsenal."

Is that hard to do?

"Of course as a manager, with the board, you have to have a plan, a long plan, but nowadays with three interviews every week, we just need to focus on Arsenal. We want to win this game against a very good team, a very good coach, let's focus on that."

Hi Ruben, I just wanted to ask about Bruno Fernandes. How do the new arrivals benefit him? And you said on tour that you want him to be closer to the area but the new arrivals make it sound like he's probably going to play in the midfield two, so would you still want him to be advancing?

"Even last season when he played as a midfielder, he was maybe the player that had more shots near the box, so I think it's a good thing also for Bruno to stay a little during trainings in one position. Then, he's winning a lot of things. In your journey as a player, you win some things and lose some things. I want Bruno near the ball, so that is really important for our team, but last year, sometimes I felt like I need Bruno near the goal. We have now players with different characteristics that can cope with that so we will try to arrange game-by-game the players in the best position."

Ruben, can you clarify something you said about Sesko, you said he'd been doing sessions to get fit, is that like an extra thing?

"No, no, no, he does the same as the other players, but what I'm saying is he's one guy who stays here, has lunch, then goes to the medical department, does the stretching. The guy is always thinking about football. He's really obsessed by that and that is a good thing because you don't have to think about that aspect with that young guy. I don't need to tell Ben, 'this is Manchester United, a lot of pressure, you have to perform, you need to be ready for the physicality, we need to be ready for every game, it's like do-or-die'. With that guy, I have not that concern. I have the opposite, [he needs to] enjoy [himself] a little bit!"

You said earlier he was asking you questions, do you like that?

"I really like that. Especially when it's smart questions. He's listening, and he wants to perform, so that is really good."