Mourinho confirms Ibrahimovic return before New Year

Man Utd coach is excited about the prospect of having his favorite student return, adding personnel to the attack.

"Ibrahimovic is a lion, a warrior," Mourinho commented. "That's the best description of him. Ibra always has anger and that motivates him to come back."

"As we expected, Ibrahimovic has shortened his recovery time compared to the plan - something we said a few weeks ago. He will be back in 2017. It's an extraordinary effort," added the Man Utd coach.

Mourinho will have another effective option at the striker position with Ibrahimovic recovering sooner than expected. Photo: AFP

Zlatan Ibrahimovic suffered a knee injury at the end of last season. But according toSky SportsandThe Sun, the striker could return for the Manchester derby next December. The 35-year-old striker last month trained with his Man Utd teammates.

Ibrahimovic's doctor, Freddie Fu, has warned him not to rush back into action until he is fully recovered. But Ibrahimovic insists he is in no rush and is under no pressure to return early, as Romelu Lukaku continues to score goals for Man Utd.

Ibrahimovic was the Red Devils' top scorer last season, with 28 goals in all competitions. He became a free agent in July when his contract expired but was re-signed by Man Utd for the second half of the season.

According to VNE