Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho refuses to confirm if Wayne Rooney will start against Fenerbahce

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has declined to say whether captain Wayne Rooney will return to the starting line-up for the Europa League clash against Fenerbahce on 20 October.

Rooney, 30, has lost his place in the United team after scoring only one goal in 14 appearances for club and country this season.

He has started the club's last four matches on the bench and was also left out of the England team that played out a goalless draw with Slovenia in a World Cup qualifier on 11 October.

Mourinho said Rooney still had a major role to play in United's season despite losing his first-team place.

"I don't want to give you the team [against Fenerbahce], honestly," the Portuguese coach was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.

"Wayne is working well. He's one of the big responsibilities for the atmosphere that the players can breathe because he's positive, he's a good example.

"We count on him to start or be on the bench, but he will be there tomorrow."

Mourinho confirmed that Luke Shaw will start against Fenerbahce after the left-back played the final minutes of United's goalless draw with Liverpool on 17 October.

Shaw, 21, had been out of action for more than a month with a hamstring injury.

The Liverpool draw extended United's unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches, and Mourinho said belief within the club's ranks was growing.

"We are now in a period with five matches unbeaten," he stated. "The players are fine. I don't think it's especially because of this match, I think it's because of the atmosphere we have, the belief we have.

"We know the process, we know the difficulties."

United are in the seventh place on the Premier League table after eight matches, five points behind leaders City.

Their next league assignment sees them travelling to Stamford Bridge to take on Mourinho's former club Chelsea on 23 October.