Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has insisted that club captain Michael Carrick will play his part for the Red Devils this season.

Carrick signed a new 12-month contract with the 20-time English champions in the latter stages of the 2016-17 campaign, before being appointed club captain following Wayne Rooney's departure.

Carrick has not played a single minute of Premier League football this term, however, with Marouane Fellaini, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera all battling for midfield positions.

Mourinho has hailed the form of Matic and Fellaini, but the Portuguese has said that Carrick is still an important player at the Theatre of Dreams despite his lack of action.

Mourinho told reporters, in quotes picked up by Man United's official website:

“We gave Michael Carrick a contract because we think he’s a good player and an important player. He’s just in a team where I think, in this moment, Matic and Fellaini are in the best form that I have ever seen them.

"I never saw Matic playing so well. I never saw Fellaini playing so well. He [Carrick] is in a team with these two guys, playing absolutely phenomenal.

"For Carrick and for Ander, it’s just patience because their time will arrive. They are going to be important players for us, for sure. That’s the team, that’s the squad. We cannot play with [only] 11 guys.”

Carrick joined Man United from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2006 after two impressive seasons at White Hart Lane.

During his time at Old Trafford, the defensive midfielder has made more than 450 appearances, landing five Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one Champions League trophy in the process.

The Red Devils will continue their 2017-18 Premier League campaign with a trip to Southampton on Saturday afternoon.

https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/the-glazers.mp4