Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that Henrikh Mkhitaryan just needs time to adapt to the rigours of English football before proving his worth at Old Trafford.
The Armenian has not represented the Red Devils since the Manchester derby in the Premier League on September 10, with Mourinho constantly overlooking the summer signing since his return to fitness, which has baffled supporters.
Mourinho, during Friday's press conference, re-iterated that the 27-year-old "is not injured", but needs to be given time before showing his best form for the 20-time English champions.
"He is not injured. Sometimes I confuse the word 'fit' in the English language. Sometimes you can say that it is 'not injured', but you could also say that you are in great condition and ready to compete," Mourinho told reporters.
"That is different for me as we use different words in Portuguese for the different situations. Mkhitaryan is not injured, he is training with the team 100%. Some players find it very easy whereas others need more time. They need time to feel the intensity, the aggression, the game without the ball and the competitiveness.
"The realities are often different, particularly in terms of the competitiveness. It doesn't matter who you are against, you have to play at the highest level otherwise you will not be able to do it. Micki needs time to become the top player he knows he can be."
It is unclear whether Mkhitaryan will be involved in Man United's home Premier League clash with Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
Matt Law
