Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic warned they are not untouchable at Manchester United

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has warned Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic they are not untouchable. Despite arriving at Old Trafford with big reputations during the summer transfer window, Mourinho has insisted he would be prepared to drop the star duo if their performance levels drop.

Ibrahimovic, 35, has enjoyed an impressive start to life at United, quickly establishing himself as the club's primary goal threat. Pogba, on the other hand, has been widely criticised for failing to match fans' expectations since his world-record £89m ($109.3m) move from Juventus.

Ahead of United's Europa League clash against Fenerbahce at Old Trafford on Thursday (20 October), Mourinho – who previously worked with Ibrahimovic at Inter Milan – has lavished praise on the burly Swede. "I'm really happy. He's giving us exactly what we need from him," said Mourinho, according to The Mirror.

"It's quite beautiful for me to meet him five or six years later [after they worked together at Inter Milan] and to find the same ambition, passion and desire to play, desire to compete. I couldn't be happier.

"The guy is really fit. He's always ready to play. I couldn't be happier in terms of his influence in the dressing room. Obviously he's somebody that the young guys look at and what they see is great for them."

Ibrahimovic has scored six times since his free transfer to United this summer – but Mourinho has warned his players that no-one is untouchable, in contrast to what he previously said of key players during his first spell at Chelsea.

"That was 11 years ago [when Mourinho said some Chelsea players were untouchable], different Premier League, different situation," the United boss explained. "[Chelsea were] the best team by far, that's a different story.

"Nobody is untouchable now. Untouchable in our team I think has to be the spirit, the commitment, the pride, the commitment to the club, the respect to the fans. That has to be untouchable, but not players."