Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has explained why new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan has not started for the Red Devils this season.

Read: Zlatan Brace Fires Man Utd Past Southampton

The Armenian midfielder joined the Manchester outfit from Borussia Dortmund for a fee believed to be worth £26 million, but has only made three substitute appearances this season.

However, Mourinho reveals that Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata were better options for the respective opponents.

“I was reading the game against Leicester and I felt that we needed the speed of Jesse Lingard and, in the game against Bournemouth, that [Juan] Mata would help guard against their pressing really high. He could reach some spaces behind the line of the pressure and could be very useful for us," Mourinho told the club's official website.

“I decided to play [Wayne] Rooney in both games, close to Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], and I didn’t start with Micki. When some managers buy players, they feel they have to protect their choices by playing the player all the time – I am not like this. Before me, comes the team and what I think is best for the team.

“I felt that Lingard and Mata were better options for the team in these matches, with the reality of the Premier League, so I made that decision.

“I keep saying the same thing, though, that Mkhitaryan is a super football player and will give us a lot during the season.”