Zlatan Ibrahimovic in his 'last season for Manchester United', reveals Jose Mourinho

Swedish striker has rarely featured since returning from the cruciate ligament injury that curtailed his debut year with the Premier League club.

FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, Manchester United's Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring during the Europa League round of 32 first leg soccer match between Manchester United and St.-Etienne at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is eyeing a chance to play at another World Cup even though the coach of Sweden's national team was convinced that the veteran striker had no desire to return. The 36-year-old Ibrahimovic retired from international soccer after the 2016 European Championship to focus on prolonging his club career. Ibrahimovic says "the door hasn't been shut to anything." (AP Photo/Dave Thompson/File)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived a few days after Mourinho in the summer of 2016 and looked to be the ultimate free transfer after a bucket load of goals in their first season together until a serious knee injury ended it all. A successful stop-gap. Transfer rating: 8/10. AP Photo

Agence France Presse

Mar 02, 2018

Jose Mourinho says Zlatan Ibrahimovic has "won the right to choose his future" after acknowledging that the striker is likely to leave Manchester United at the end of the season.

Ibrahimovic, 36, is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of this season and has been heavily linked with a move to MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has not played for United since their 2-2 draw against Burnley on December 26, having decided that he was not in the right shape after recovering from career-threatening cruciate knee ligament damage sustained in April.

____________

Premier League predictions: Manchester City too good for Chelsea

[ Richard Jolly on Samir Nasri - a flawed genius who contrived to his own downfall ]

[ Long read: Bolton Wanderers - A proud club rebuilding from the brink ]

____________

He hopes to return in time for the second leg of the Uefa Champions League last-16 tie against Sevilla at Old Trafford a week on Tuesday, but United manager Mourinho said the Swede's long-term plans may lie away from Manchester.

"For Zlatan, we all think it's his last season at Manchester United and it will be a very personal decision for him to play or to stop," Mourinho told reporters on Friday.

"I think he won the right to choose his life, his future, such an amazing player and an amazing career. Only that awful injury in the wrong moment broke a fantastic couple of seasons he could and should have with us.

"This season has been really difficult for him. He's not injured. Does he feel totally happy, ready and convinced that he's in the condition to help the team in this moment? No.

"But he's such an honest guy and such a champion he only wants to be back with that feeling of: 'I'm totally ready for it'.

"So he's working hard and hopefully his evolution brings him to that level he wants to have a positive answer."