• e-mail

Jose Mourinho admits that Manchester United are not scoring enough goals, and has told his players to ease the burden on Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish star is United's top marksman with 19 goals – 14 in the Premier League – way ahead of United's next highest scorers, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata on seven each.

United trail all of their top-six rivals in terms of goals scored following Wednesday's disappointing draw at home to Hull City, and Mourinho concedes that they must do better.

 Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Manchester United's top marksman with 19 goals – 14 in the league

Manager Jose Mourinho admits that United are not scoring enough goals at the moment

'I have to agree with you that we don't score enough goals,' said the United boss. 'Some of our players from these attacking creative positions they could –they should – score more goals.

'I understand what you are saying. We attack so much and with so many players, and so many players have the freedom in our dynamic to reach scoring positions.

'When you see the number of goals we score, there is not a true relation between our attacking production and the number of payers we put in attacking positions and the number of goals we score.'

Paul Pogba is United's next highest scorer in the Premier League with his four goals

Mourinho paid tribute to Ibrahimovic who has been a huge hit at Old Trafford since arriving on a free transfer in the summer, pointing out that only one of his league goals have come from the penalty spot.

He added: 'When you speak about Zlatan's goals you should always add 14 goals and one penalty in 31 matches played in England in all competitions. You should always add that extra item.

'In almost every team the striker is the top scorer, I think so, unless you have another player with a special feeling to score goals coming from another position or you have another player scoring six seven or eight goals from penalties, that is normal to happen.'

Mourinho expressed his frustration over the goalless draw with Hull – United's third in a row

If the football's on, it's on

• Live tables
• Fixtures
• Scores

• Premier League
• Premier League
• Championship
• League One
• League Two
• Scottish Premiership
• Scottish Div 1
• Scottish Div 2
• Scottish Div 3
• Ligue 1
• Serie A
• La Liga
• Bundesliga

• More tables
• More fixtures
• More scores

Mourinho expressed his frustration over the goalless stalemate with Hull – United's third in a row in the Premier League and ninth of the season – as they failed to make up ground on their rivals at the top of the table. His side travel to struggling champions Leicester on Sunday desperate for a win.

'We are in the same positon we were before that game,' he said. 'We didn't get the three points we wanted, so it's simple.

'It was a bad result for us but it's exactly the same position which is try to win the next game. That's what we do for a long time

'Every draw we deserved a victory. We never had a draw where we could say we were lucky, we got more than we deserved. Always less than what we deserved. But the reality is the reality of the points and we lost the points.'

Phil Jones has been ruled out of United's trip to the King Power Stadium after suffering a foot injury against Hull, while fourth-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson has been recalled from his loan spell at Grimsby after Joel Pereira – who made his debut against Wigan last weekend – was injured.

Phil Jones is likely to miss Manchester United's trip to reigning champions Leicester City

Mourinho believes that Claudio Ranieri deserves to be considered as the best coach in the world after leading Leicester to the title last May, but admits Leicester were always likely to come back down to earth this season.

He added: 'What Leicester did is one of the big things in the world of football. I think nobody, even them, would expect to be champion again.

'What they did was unique, so unique that Claudio deserved to be named best manger in world. It was amazing what they did. I don't think it would be possible to do it for a second season, especially playing Champions League at the same time.

Mourinho believes that Claudio Ranieri should be considered as the best coach in the world

'Champions League is very hard. They were working one match per week, competing domestically against teams who were playing in the Champions League and not like that now. That is big big difference for them.

'So no one expect them, not even them, to be fighting for the title again. But the manager is there, the players there, the team there, they're a very good team and this is a very difficult match for us. Also a very difficult match for them.

'I have total respect for them, what they did and the change of life. I think next season will be much better for them. This is new – Champions League and being champion is a lot.'