Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho: 'No plans to rest Romelu Lukaku'

United's triumph in Moscow also saw Romelu Lukaku continue his impressive goalscoring form since moving to Old Trafford in a £75million switch from Everton this summer.

Jose Mourinho says Manchester United are relying on Romelu Lukaku to keep shouldering the goal-scoring burden until Zlatan Ibrahimovic returns to fitness. He was a bargain at £75 million, it was obvious he was going to score goals.

Roy Hodgson would love to have Mourinho's problem with the Palace boss forced to go into the Old Trafford cash without a recognised striker after Christian Benteke was ruled out for six weeks with a knee problem.

"Look, without Zlatan, we can not rotate the striker, especially because Marcus Rashford is playing also in other positions", Mourinho said ahead of Saturday's visit of bottom club Crystal Palace.

"So until the moment we have Zlatan we can not think about giving rest to our No9 in the same way we give rest in other positions". We can not do that.

"It was a pity he couldn't play for 90 minutes because I was ready to leave him on the pitch for the whole game", said United manager Jose Mourinho.

Lukaku has shown no signs of slowing down for United, although he also has Belgium's upcoming World Cup qualifiers to contend with.

Lukaku has been the key player in that run, with his two goals in Moscow adding to the victor he scored at Southampton, and taking his total for United to 10 in nine matches.

But Mourinho was careful not to be seen to be ordering Martinez to rest his ace. It's Roberto's responsibility. I can not, professionally speaking, say do this or do that, you know.

Lukaku told RTÉ Sport last night that he was "relishing the challenge" and acknowledged that stiffer tests lie in wait.

"For all top United strikers over the years, [it's] been scoring the big goals in the big games", Keane said.

"Ibra, Pogba, Rojo, I don't think about these players".

"Every step in his career, he grabbed it with both hands, since his first loan to West Bromwich Albion", Mourinho added.

"He was very strong in his desire to be playing in a team with other objectives now and with Champions League football".