Jose Mourinho blames Romelu Lukaku's struggles in front of goal on Manchester United's lack of attacking options

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Jose Mourinho has claimed that Romelu Lukaku’s recent struggles are a consequence of Manchester United’s limited options up front.

Lukaku has been almost ever-present for his new club this season, playing every minute of every Premier League game and only missing one match entirely – September’s EFL Cup tie against Burton Albion.

The Belgian began his United career in brilliant form, scoring 11 goals in his first 10 appearances, but his form has suffered in the weeks and months since, with just four further goals to his name in his last 19 outings.

Lukaku has also come under scrutiny after being at fault for both Manchester City’s goals in their 2-1 derby victory at Old Trafford earlier this month, before he was blamed again after Ashley Barnes’ opener in Boxing Day’s 2-2 draw with Burnley.

Mourinho admits that his first-choice striker is in need of “a little rest” but defended him from criticism, claiming he only felt “grateful” for his performances.

“First of all, people don’t have to be grateful to Romelu, I have to be. Not you, not the supporters, not the pundits, I have to be,” he said on Friday, ahead of his side’s Premier League meeting with Southampton this weekend.

“The other day I said 19 matches in the Premier League, now I see 20 matches in the Premier League, 90 minutes. I think for a striker, any player, he’s absolutely incredible. If you are a central defender, a holding midfield player, where you can control you’re energy, positional play, you can resist, survive. For a striker to play 20 matches in the Premier League, 90 minutes, I have to be grateful.”

Mourinho added: “Is he unlucky in our box in recent matches? He was in the picture in some of the last goals we concede, but it is a consequence of a player that really needs a little rest. The guy is fantastic for me and for the team and gives absolutely everything and I’ve no criticism.”

Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic started together for the first time against Burnley but struggled to immediately strike up a winning partnership, with the latter substituted at half-time after a poor opening 45 minutes.

Mourinho said on Friday that the two could be paired together again but given Ibrahimovic’s struggles for form following a long-term back injury, it is more likely that he persists with a tired Lukaku as a lone frontman.

“It can happen but I think to happen they need both to be in their best moment and they are not,” he said of a Lukaku and Ibrahimovic partnership.

“One [Lukaku] is not because the situation in his team didn’t allow him to have any rest and he’s giving absolutely everything in every minute. We just managed to give him a little rest in cup matches and even so he was on the bench for emergency situations.

“Champions League was about the same, we had to fight until the last match for qualification and the boy is tired. He is physically a monster but not a machine and he’s feeling it.”

On Ibrahimovic, Mourinho said: “Zlatan is a man with an incredible injury, an injury that a 20-year-old man or young man would suffer [from], imagine a man 36 years old and so many miles in high level football. It is not easy.

“We did that [play both together] against Burnley, we will do that in some more matches if we need to do but for both to play together we need them to be at their best level.”