Jose Mourinho says Manchester United will not be weakened by injury list as they face Chelsea in Premier League showdown 

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Jose Mourinho insists Manchester United's injury crisis does not weaken their team as they head to Chelsea for tomorrow's title clash.

United boss Louis van Gaal revealed he will be without Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Michael Carrick and Daley Blind at Stamford Bridge, but Mourinho responded by listing their lavish squad.

'I disagree because their squad is amazing, in numbers, players, experience, solutions,' said the Chelsea manager. 

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United will not be weakened by injury problems when they play Chelsea 

Louis van Gaal is without a number of key players ahead of the tough trip to Stamford Bridge

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic pictured on the ball during Chelsea's training session on Friday

Defender Gary Cahill plays the ball during training as Chelsea prepare for Manchester United's visit

Didier Drogba tries to find a way past Denmark under 21 defender Andreas Christensen in training

Chelsea currently enjoy a seven-point lead in the Premier League title race with a game in hand 

'Their squad is amazing. Every week I have on the big screen in my office not the team I'm going to play against, but the squad and all the options.

'This week, when I arrived in the room, for the first time in the week, I realised what they have. It's amazing.'

'You want me to name their players? Mata, Di Maria, Januzaj, Rooney, Van Persie, Herrera, Carrick, Blind, Fellaini...

'Defenders? Rafael and Valencia, Luke Shaw left-back, centre-backs Smalling... of course they don't have Evans and Jones, but Blackett, McNair. They have played. Van Gaal is a fantastic coach to develop players.

'These kids have played a lot of matches and are more than ready. I went to QPR with Drogba and no strikers on the bench and, for a long time, because of suspensions or injuries, we were in trouble.

'You have to cope with it. I know Mr Van Gaal very well, and he's the kind of person to think at this moment that we have a fantastic squad and will go with what we have. Injuries are part of the game.'

Eden Hazard (left) and Dominic Solanke pictured during Friday's training session at Cobham

Loic Remy, who has recovered from a calf injury, on the ball during training on Friday

Mourinho is relishing the meeting with Manchester United, saying his players require no motivation

Old friends Mourinho and Van Gaal embrace ahead of the fixture at Old Trafford back in October

Mourinho was part of Van Gaal's coaching staff during his time at Barcelona in the late nineties

Sports analysts BSports predict that a Chelsea win is easily the most likely outcome at Stamford Bridge

Mourinho and Van Gaal have a close relationship, dating back to the time when they worked together at Barcelona.

'I consider him a big, big, big, big friend,' said Mourinho. 'But with our jobs at the moment, with clubs with the same objectives, we are not speaking every week. But a deep feeling of a big friend, that doesn't change.'  

Mourinho said his players needed no motivation this week as they prepare to face United in what is always a 'special fixture.'

He said games such as Saturday night's showdown at Stamford Bridge make his job 'easy' because 'every player is desperate to play and focused.' 

He said: 'To play Manchester United is to play one of the biggest clubs in the world and one of the best in the Premier League and this is what everybody wants.

'I am not worried this week about motivating players because there is no need. [It is an] easy job. It is a special fixture, it is a big match.

'You have to play everybody home and away and our fight is always to have the same motivation regardless of the opponent, but the reality is these matches are the easy ones where every player is desperate to play and focused.' 

Masked man Cesc Fabregas prepares for the visit of Manchester United on Saturday night

Winger Juan Cuadrado challenges Filipe Luis for the ball during a practice match at Cobham

Felipe Luis chases Eden Hazard to try and retrieve the ball in Friday's training session

Didier Drogba gave Chelsea the lead when the two teams met at Old Trafford earlier in the season

Robin van Persie earned a draw for Manchester United with a stoppage time equaliser in October

Former Chelsea player Juan Mata is preparing return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since his move

Mourinho sanctioned the sale of Mata to Manchester United for £37m last January

Juan Mata returns to Stamford Bridge as a United player for the first time since his £37m move to Old Trafford last January but Mourinho predicted he will get a good reception.

'He is a player with history at this club. We have deep respect for him and we wished him the best. If things are going well for him everybody is happy. He is a very correct boy and a top professional.'

Chelsea can move 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal - who take on Reading in the FA cup semi-final at the same time - with three points against United.

They are boosted by the likely return of striker Loic Remy from a calf injury and Mourinho also confirmed that 19-goal frontman Diego Costa will return to full training next week after making a quick recovery from a hamstring problem.

This puts the Spain international in contention for next weekend's top-of-the-table clash with Arsenal at the Emirates.

Costa injured his hamstring in the win over Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on April 4

Mourinho hinted that Loic Remy should return from a calf injury against Manchester United

Mourinho said on Costa: 'He is progressing very well. He has a chance for next weekend. Our target was for Diego to play our last four matches and Arsenal is the sixth from the end, so if he doesn't play it's not a problem but things are going so well he has a chance. 

'He's training and he starts with the rest of the squad next week.'

Mourinho wasn't willing to comment on figures revealed on Friday that show Chelsea have the worst behaviour towards referees in the Premier League. 

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