José Mourinho: Controversial chapter closed on Wayne Rooney

Jose Mourinho admits last weekend "didn't go well" for England captain Wayne Rooney, but the Manchester United manager says that chapter is closed for the fit-again forward.

The 31-year-old’s difficult start to the season continued on England duty, with his starting role in last Friday’s World Cup qualifying win against Scotland followed by injury and controversy.

Rooney missed the 2-2 draw with Spain due to a minor knee complaint but has dominated the headlines since then, with the Sun newspaper printing images showing the Three Lions skipper, wearing a training top, looking the worse for wear.

The forward is alleged to have dropped in on a wedding party at The Grove hotel until the early hours of Sunday, leading him to “unreservedly” apologise to interim manager Gareth Southgate, the Football Association and young fans.

“Over the last two or three days, nothing happened,” Rooney’s club manager Mourinho said on the eve of his side’s game against Arsenal. “He trained like everybody else, he wants to play like everybody else. He is ready.

“What happened in the national team, happened in the national team. I don’t comment.

“My players when they go to the national team, they belong to the national team. What happens there for good, for bad. I don’t interfere and I don’t like to comment.

“Sometimes they come back stronger than when they left us, because something good happened there, something positive for them, good performances, good results.

“Other times injuries, sometimes big injures, other times frustrations because they didn’t play, because the result was bad.

“In this case, we know what didn’t go well. But national team is a different chapter and a chapter that is closed now until I think March or the end of February.”

Rooney had dominated the agenda in recent days, but last week it was Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling making the majority of column inches.

The defenders looked to be the subject of Mourinho’s barbed comments following United’s 3-1 win at Swansea, when the players’ pain threshold came into question.

However, both players missed out on the England squad with the result of the issues, with Shaw understood to have been suffering pain in the leg the that was so horrifically fractured in two places back in September 2015.

The left-back is fully-fit again but could be overlooked against Arsenal, while it was reported that Smalling may not be play again before Christmas having broken a toe so badly in two places.

“I don’t say a word about Chris Smalling,” Mourinho said.

“You have your sources, you trust your sources, you do the big headlines with your sources and now I am not interested in commenting on that.

“Luke Shaw I comment, yes. He worked well in this period where we had a very small group, which is not the best but he worked really well.

“He is ready to play. I don’t have any problem with him, I am not saying he plays or he doesn’t play tomorrow.

“I am saying that he is my player, a young player with potential. A young player like every young player with little problems, with things that needs to learn, with things he needs to improve.

“But he is a player of my confidence and playing now five matches in two weeks like we are going to do, in three different competitions, for sure he is going to play.”

The talk about United’s players has somewhat overshadowed what is always a fascinating clash between Mourinho and Arsene Wenger.

The duo have endured a testy relationship over the years — a period that Mourinho has dominated, losing just one of 15 previous encounters in all competitions.

The Portuguese has never lost a Premier League game against Wenger’s Arsenal, but the United boss says “that’s not important” ahead of the side’s clash at Old Trafford.

“The records against any other manager being good or bad is not important,” Mourinho said. “For me, the only thing that matters is what you get globally as a team.

“Our team’s results, our CV, if you want to go to that direction.

“In the Premier League, going just the Premier League, tomorrow is a match between the two managers with the best record in the Premier League.

“Sir Alex Ferguson isn’t here any more. Tomorrow, I think between the two managers we are speaking about, I think, six or seven Premier League titles. I have three, he has three or four.

“Does that mean we should be respected, even in periods where our results are not the best? I think Mr Wenger has that respect from all of you, I don’t think I have, especially because my last Premier League title was 18 months ago, not 18 years ago.

“I don’t think I get that respect. But to be honest, I just follow my way because I want to win a ninth championship and I want to win a fourth Premier League.”