Jose Mourinho hails Scott McTominay after leaving out Pogba for Manchester United’s hard-fought Sevilla draw

Pogba had been left out of the starting line-up for the goalless draw with Mourinho apparently unhappy after the French star withdrew from last weekend’s FA Cup win at Huddersfield Town citing illness.

That followed criticism from Mourinho of Pogba’s recent performances, with the Portuguese making a statement by selecting McTominay, 21, alongside Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic in midfield.

Mourinho later complained that there had been too much focus on Pogba before and after the match, and not enough on a player making his second Champions League start.

“In my pre-match interview I had four questions and three were about Paul, and Paul was not even playing. That’s a bit strange,” he said.

“If I was one of you (journalists), I would ask if the Manchester United manager agrees that Scott McTominay had a fantastic performance, and my answer would be that yes, he had a fantastic performance.