Chris Smalling warns Newcastle of Manchester United backlash after 'disappointing' defeat by Chelsea

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Chris Smalling says Manchester United will regroup and return from the international break with a performance that excites the fans.

Jose Mourinho's Red Devils enter the international break second in the Premier League but eight points behind leaders Manchester City after Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

There has never been a larger gap between the top two after 11 matches in Premier League history and Pep Guardiola's swashbuckling side are as short as 1-9 with some bookmakers to win the title. 

Chris Smalling urged his Manchester United team-mates to bounce back after Chelsea defeat

United now have to wait a fortnight to close the gap - when they face Newcastle at Old Trafford - and Smalling has warned the Magpies that they face a difficult afternoon when they head to Old Trafford.

'It is unfortunate (to have to wait),' the centre-back said. 'I think we'll have to regroup and make sure that - our next game is at Old Trafford - we put on a performance to rectify this.

'It is about us getting back to Old Trafford for that game and putting on a performance that the fans can be proud of.'

Alvaro Morata heads Chelsea to victory over United after 55 minutes at Stamford Bridge

Having been overlooked by England for their upcoming friendlies, Smalling has been given a week off by Mourinho for some rest and recuperation.

However, the 27-year-old may well spend that period stewing on Gareth Southgate's comments about his ability to play from the back, or Chelsea's avoidable winner on Sunday.

Alvaro Morata - a summer target for United before Romelu Lukaku arrived - got between Smalling and Eric Bailly to head home Cesar Azpilicueta's cross 10 minutes into the second half at Stamford Bridge.

The United defender is left disappointed by a second defeat of the season

'I think it was two teams there who can defend and who have got very good attacking players,' he told MUTV.

'I think it was always going to be a close game and we just fell asleep on their one big chance, unfortunately.

'It was disappointing from us because we'd watched a lot of their videos and we knew about Azpilicueta coming up and putting in those crosses.

'So for us to know what their game plan was and to fall asleep is very disappointing.'

Marcus Rashford was criticised for 'shirking' a golden chance to give United the lead

That lapse in concentration, combined with a lack of composure in front of goal, saw Mourinho come away from his former stamping ground empty handed for the third consecutive time.

Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini had late attempts to snatch at least a point from Antonio Conte's Blues, but it was the failure to capitalise on early momentum that Smalling felt was key.

'I think we did put in so much,' he said. 'I think our first half where we controlled large parts of that game and we put them on that back foot, and we just needed to take one of those chances in that first half when you've got that momentum and you can keep squeezing it on them.

But Smalling nailed wasting early momentum as the reason for the Stamford Bridge defeat

'But we just couldn't take one of those chances.

'I thought those last 20 minutes we did put on some pressure and we were really on that front foot, and I thought a chance might come because I thought we deserved a goal.'

Put to Smalling that he did not start the second half as well as the first, he said: 'I'd agree.

'We had that momentum, you could sense the crowd was on them in that first half.

'I think we didn't come out in that second half with that same pressure.'