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Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho labels France World Cup winner Paul Pogba ‘absolutely brilliant’

The midfielder, who joined United for £89m in 2016, scored in the final and the United manager said he hoped the player understood why he was so good in Russia

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho labelled World Cup winning midfielder Paul Pogba "absolutely brilliant" and hopes the player "understands why" he played at the level he did.

Pogba helped France win the tournament in Russia and scored in the final where Croatia were defeated 4-2 in Moscow.

 Paul Pogba looks to the skies after France's World Cup triumph
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Paul Pogba looks to the skies after France's World Cup triumph

Mourinho, who left the 25-year-old out of his first XI at times last season, spoke about Pogba on Wednesday in Los Angeles where United are on a pre-season tour.

"To win the World Cup can only be a positive thing,” he told manutd.com.

"I can only imagine that is only positive, is amazing, is fantastic. So many good players never had the chance to be world champions.

"For Paul, I think to be world champion can only be fantastic.

"I think the future for him in the French national team, amongst that fantastic group of players, can only be brilliant, and I hope that he understands why he was very good."

Ahead of the club’s first pre-season friendly, against Club America on 20 July, he added: "I think that's the point about his performance level and his contribution to a winning team - it's for him to understand why he was so good, especially in the second part of the competition, quarter-finals, semi-finals, the final, where he was, in my opinion, absolutely brilliant.

Mourinho also revealed he had tried to stay in touch with the £89m man during the tournament. "I did with Paul what I did with all my players.

"I sent a nice message before the World Cup and during it I did not disturb anyone.

"They needed to focus on the job for their national team. After the World Cup I sent a different message than to the other guys because he won the competition."

Mourinho, though, said pre-season training is not proving ideal in terms of the senior absentees, which include Pogba.

 Mourinho is overseeing pre-season training without a number of key players
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Mourinho is overseeing pre-season training without a number of key players

"It's positive for the young boys that have the fantastic opportunity to train with us and know what it is to be a United player, the chance to play against fantastic players. And my coaching staff, with three new staff it's good for them to adapt to my needs and start working in a new reality."

While Pogba is having a post-World Cup break, Alexis Sanchez did not fly out with United for their United States tour at the weekend because of what the club said was a "personal administrative issue" which it was hoped would soon be resolved to allow him to join the party at a later date.

Sanchez was absent from the party which headed across the Atlantic on Sunday amid speculation there was an issue with his visa after he accepted a 16-month suspended sentence in Spain over a tax issue.

Mourinho said of the Chilean on Wednesday: "It's really bad and he's really sad.

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