Henrikh Mkhitaryan injury: Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says playmaker will be back on Boxing Day
Boss reckons injury to Armenian not as bad as first feared
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN's injury is not as bad as initially feared - with the on-fire playmaker expected to be back to face Sunderland on Boxing Day.
The Manchester United ace was carried off on a stretcher after going down in the final ten minutes of the win over Tottenham.
Mkhi fired in the only goal of the game - coming good on his promise of banging one in against Spurs to follow up his strike against Zorya on Thursday.
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After the game Mourinho played down fears his £27million signing is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Red Devils boss said: "It looks like he will be out of the next match.
"But looks like nothing really dangerous, needing surgery.
"I hope we have Mkhi probably for Boxing Day.
"We scored a fantastic goal and it was important for us in the end.
"But once more the keeper was not the man of the match - as Mkhitaryan deserves that - but the keeper deserves that too. Also the post."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic added: "Henrikh scored a fantastic goal in Ukraine, scored a great goal today and dominated in his role.
"Hopefully his injury is not so bad as it looked like.
"But he is important to us, that is why the coach bought him. We know his quality, we see it every day but the world has not seen it yet. But I'm super happy for him."
There was a nervous air around Old Trafford in the closing stages of the game, with United fearing another decent display would fail to yield three points.
Mourinho felt United should never have been in that position.
But he was also quick to hail Spurs - a side he reckons are his favourite to watch in the division.
The Portuguese added: "I think the performance was even better than the others as we were playing against a very good team, a team that I prefer in the Premier League.
"Defensively and offensively this is a team I fancied more. Even more credit to the players.
";We deserved to be enjoying the match and we cannot enjoy the match when under pressure.
"For the way we played we don't deserve to suffer.
"We don't deserve to be finishing with our heart in our hands."
"Now we are 6th in the table, our position didn't change, but we reduced three points from Tottenham and reduced three points from Man City.
"So not a bad weekend for us, especially as our match at home where a draw would be normal."