Jose Mourinho: 'Manchester derby not about Pep Guardiola rivalry'

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that his rivalry with Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola should take a backseat during this week's derby showdown.

The pair were fierce competitors during their time in Spain, but the Red Devils coach claims that focusing on their history is not the "correct approach" to the fixture.

"I see that now is the correct approach and the previous one wasn't," Mourinho told Sky Sports News, referencing the hype surrounding this season's earlier Manchester derby.

"This is about the clubs, this is about the teams, this is about the positions at the end of the season.

"This is not about myself and Guardiola, so I think now is the correct approach."

Mourinho's rivalry with Guardiola dates back to his spell in charge of Real Madrid between 2010 and 2012, during which time Guardiola managed the team's bitter rivals Barcelona.

The Manchester clubs head into Thursday's derby with one point separating fourth-placed City from United in fifth.