Jose Mourinho says his Manchester United team are better than they were last year, playing down injury concerns as he prepares for a blockbuster Premier League clash against Liverpool.

High-flying United travel to face their fierce rivals at Anfield on Saturday looking to maintain a rich vein of form that leaves them trailing Manchester City only on goal difference at the top of the table.

Mourinho had a mixed first season at Old Trafford, finishing a disappointing sixth in the League but winning the Europa League and League Cup.

But big-money summer signings Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic have impressed in the early weeks of the season, enabling United to keep pace with free-scoring City.

"I think we are a better team (than we were)," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "You can say, like some people do, we have not played one of the top five teams but last season we did not beat West Ham at home, last season we did not beat Everton at home or Southampton away