Jose Mourinho calls up Rashford's junior football pal Devonte Redmond to cover for international break absences at United

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Manchester United teenager Devonte Redmond has been called up by Jose Mourinho to train with the first-team to cover for players away on international duty.

Redmond, 19, got the call alongside fellow under-23s team-mate Joe Riley after Mourinho felt there weren't enough regular senior players left at Carrington to conduct proper practice sessions.

The promotion is still a boost for Redmond who started his career at the same Fletcher Moss boys' club as Marcus Rashford.

Mourinho says preparation for the Manchester Derby will be harmed by the international break

Devonte Redmond, 19, has been called up to train with the first team due to a lack of numbers

The six-foot midfielder was a regular for United under-21s last season and has played in under-20s champions league but has yet to make his first-team debut.

Riley, also 19, made his only start for United so far in last February's Europa League cup tie against FC Midtjylland – the game in which Rashford announced his arrival with two goals on his debut.

Mourinho included the two teenagers after discovering he only had eight outfield players at his disposal ahead due to the majority of his squad being away with their countries.

19-year-old Joe Riley has also been called up to train with the first team squad by Mourinho

Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard are among those at Carrington this week with Zlatan Ibrahimovic due to return to training on Thursday after being given an extended break.

The United manager is concerned that the international break will have a disruptive influence on the team's preparations for the derby game against Manchester City at lunchtime on September 10 – with both sides boasting 100 per cent records so far.

'We keep eight outfield players and Sam Johnstone as the goalkeeper for training,' Mourinho told MUTV.

Sam Johnstone is the only goalkeeper at Carrington as United train with eight outfield players

'We are going to lose the others and we don't know the way they train, the way they recover, the life they are going to have with their national teams.'

'Some are coming back on the Monday before the Manchester City match but some are coming back on Friday. The day before Man City, we will still have Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo and Antonio Valencia arriving.

'It will be a complicated process but we know it is like this when we have these players. And I would love all of the players to go because it would mean that everybody is being selected for their national teams.' 

Antonio Valencia (left) and Marcos Rojo will not report back to Carrington until Friday morning

Mourinho also explained Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be given extra time off following his decision to retire from representing Sweden.

'I give the other guys, who are not selected for the national teams, two days off,' he said. 'And I give four days to Zlatan. At 34 years old, you need to rest.'

Despite their disjointed preparations ahead of the match, United have been given a timely boost after Sergio Aguero looks certain to miss out for Manchester City after he was charged by the FA for elbowing West Ham defender Winston Reid.

Mourinho says that he will give Zlatan Ibrahimovic extra rest because at 34 - 'you need to rest'