Those performances led to questions around Rashford's playing time at United, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher saying he needs to leave if he ever wants to develop into a world-class striker.

That analysis has clearly got under Mourinho's skin, with the boss giving a 276-second answer to one question about the forward's performances for England.

"Speaking about Marcus, I think I can expect that Sunday I'm going to be highly criticised for not playing him tomorrow because some of the boys are really obsessed with me and, some of them, they have, I think, a problem with some compulsive lies," the United boss said of the forward, who starts a three-match suspension at Watford.

"The people that (are) speaking about his minutes, I think they are a bit confused," he concluded at the end of the question.

Jose on @MarcusRashford's performances for @England: "Of course I am happy for him. He played well, he competed well and he scored twice." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/W3u1gLbRts

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 14, 2018

"Marcus Rashford is not Dominic Solanke, he's not Ruben Loftus-Cheek, he's not Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He's Marcus Rashford, Manchester United player, with an incredible number of appearances and an incredible number of minutes played at the highest level in the best possible competitions.

"So Manchester United supporters - for you and just for you - to know what we are doing with Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Jesse Lingard, Scott McTominay, that's what we are doing here."

When it was put to Mourinho that he appears irritated by the perception he does not play Rashford enough, the United boss said: "It's not a perception.

"You know some of the persons, everybody knows that they have double salaries.

More on @MarcusRashford: "With me [as manager] in two seasons, he's had 105 appearances, 5,744 minutes, 63.7 matches of 90 minutes, including five finals. An incredible number of appearances at the highest level." #MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 14, 2018

"They work also for the clubs and when they work also for the clubs, of course, they are not independent and of course they conduct things in the direction they want to conduct things.

"That's obvious and that's human, and that's natural. It's not ethical but I accept, clearly.

"The ones that wake up in the morning and the first thing that comes into their mind is Jose Mourinho and Manchester United, I feel sorry for them because there are much more interesting things to wake up and to be happy in the morning (about) than to speak immediately about us and about football.

"But for the Manchester United supporters, I think it is important they have the right idea of how things are in reality."

Mourinho will be without Rashford at Watford, but Luke Shaw could be involved despite being concussed in England's Nations League defeat to Watford last Saturday.

"I don't know, we still have a training session," the United boss said of the left-back's availability.

"Contrary to some news, to some opinions, by the protocol point of view and according to our doctor, he will be free to play.

"The only situation we have to analyse is if you are going to play him when during the week he was not training with the team or if, even so, we decide to play him."