Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes striker Wayne Rooney has been hurt by recent criticism and will need time to bounce back.

The out-of-favour veteran is likely to be banished to the bench yet again for his side’s high-profile clash with arch-rivals Liverpool on Monday evening, having been dropped by both club and country in recent weeks.

Mourinho believes exclusion from both sides has had an impact on the player, particularly given comments from the media, but has backed the star to regain his best form.

‘I think what you could hurt you did already,’ Mourinho told the media, reports Goal. ‘I don’t think you can do more than what you did.

‘So I think in this moment it’s time for him to recover from what was done to him and the best place for him to do that is feeling like he feels at home here. You can hurt me but you can’t put me down. I think he’s the same,’ the coach added.

Mourinho, meanwhile, insists he considers Rooney a first-team player and has contradicted suggestions the England captain no longer has a future at the club.

‘That’s a choice. He didn’t lose his place. Not at all. For me, he’s first choice. I have 24 players. The records are not important for me. A match is an isolated event. There’s no relation to what you did in the past, no relation to what you do in the future,’ he concluded.

Rooney has played 10 matches in all competitions this season, scoring once.