Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has praised defender Eric Bailly after he played against Liverpool on Sunday despite carrying an injury.

The Red Devils slumped to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Jurgen Klopp’s men, although United did have several first team players unavailable due to the World Cup.

One man who probably shouldn’t have played a part is Bailly, who had not been included in the squad against Liverpool due to an ankle injury. But after Chris Smalling suffered an injury in the warm-up, the Ivory Coast international insisted he was fit enough to play – something Mourinho has hailed.

Mourinho says Bailly’s determination and commitment to the United is something that all teams need within their squad.

“When he saw that Smalling in the warm-up was leaving, he decided by himself he did not want another kid on the pitch,” Mourinho said.

“That is why we have him, why we still have him and why he is going to stay with us because football teams need people like him; the kind of people where the club is more important than anything else.

“He is a team boy, he is a great boy. He is an honest man, always ready to give everything for the team.”

Baily has been linked with a move away from United this summer, after he spent a lot of time away from the starting line-up towards the end of the season. However, it seems the defender will play a key role in Mourinho’s third season in charge.

United begin Premier League campaign on August 10 at home to Leicester City.