Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has bracketed Paul Pogba’s injury as “long-term” – comparing it to those Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rojo are recovering from.

The severity of the hamstring issue that caused the 24-year-old to limp off early in the club’s Champions League return against Basel has been shrouded in mystery.

Mourinho has repeatedly claimed not to know how bad Pogba’s injury is as the club continued to assess him in-house, as well as seeking specialist advice.

The United manager is still unwilling to put a timescale on the injury, but 17 days on from the France international’s setback the Portuguese has revealed it is a long-term issue.

“He’s injured, he cannot play tomorrow and it’s not an injury that I can have the hope like I have with (Antonio) Valencia or (Phil) Jones,” Mourinho said of Pogba.

“I have the hope to see them in training and to have a positive answer, so long-term injuries I don’t speak about them.

“So Ibra and Pogba and Rojo, these players I don’t think about them.”