Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan frustrated with Jose Mourinho

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is unhappy with being forced to play away from his favoured position by Jose Mourinho, according to reports. The 27-year-old, signed a four-year deal with United in the summer after joining from German club Borussia Dortmund.

The Armenia international was named the Bundesliga player of the season in 2015/16 and scored 23 goals in all competitions.

However, his first-team opportunities are limited at his new club, as Wayne Rooney plays in the number 10 role, which the Armenian midfielder prefers.

Mkhitaryan started his first game for United in the 1-2 defeat against Manchester City on the right wing, but was taken off by Mourinho at half-time after repeatedly losing the ball and struggling to impose himself on proceedings.

The Sun reports that the Armenia captain is unhappy with having to play wide in a three behind the striker.

Playing him in the number 10 role would mean club captain Rooney will have to be dropped from the starting XI or moved elsewhere and Mourinho reportedly does not want to do that.

Manchester derby fallout

Mourinho heavily criticised his own players after losing his first match as United manager against Pep Guardiola's City, accusing them of "really poor individual performances".

"I didn't change after 20 minutes because I didn't want to destroy the players," he was quoted as saying by the Guardian.

"I didn't want to make three changes at half-time, but if it was a sport with a free number of changes I would have done it after 20 minutes.

"I made a couple of decisions [with the starting line-up] because I thought the individual qualities of certain players would give me what I wanted. But I didn't get it.

"I think some of the boys felt the dimension of the game. Everything around the game – the derby, the big game, Man United, Man City, the focus, the attention. Some of the guys, they felt it," he added.

United travel to Rotterdam to take on Feyenoord in their Europa League opener on 15 September.