Jose Mourinho: 'Manchester United top four by end of 2018'

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is confident that his team will be in the Champions League positions in the Premier League by the turn of the year.

United have lost four of their 12 Premier League matches this season to sit eighth and are currently seven points off fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the table.

Mourinho has conceded that "it is a big gap" at this stage of the campaign, but the Portuguese feels that his team will be in the top four by the end of 2018.

"It is a big gap but I know that until the end of December we have eight Premier League matches to play. If I'm not wrong I think there are eight," Mourinho told reporters.

"We are speaking about 24 points for us to fight for and the other teams that are in the top four. I believe we are going to be there."

United are back in Premier League action at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon.