Jose Mourinho has backtracked on his comments regarding Manchester United’s top four hopes, with the Portuguese claiming that no “miracle” is needed for his team to secure a Champions League spot this season.

The United manager had been quoted by RedeTV saying: “This year, as we’re facing even more problems, it proves what I said when the season started: that it would be very tough for us. Now we must try and win as many points as we can. It will take almost a miracle to finish in the top four.”

The Red Devils who face Arsenal on Wednesday currently sit seventh in the Premier League table, eight points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Ahead of the crunch clash at Old Trafford, he told reporters: ” I don’t know if I said it or if I didn’t but if I used that word it is not what I feel at all.

“We are like eight or nine points from fourth, something like that, I don’t think we need a miracle at all. We need a good run of results, not waste points.

“Last week, before the Crystal Palace game, I said my target was the end of December to be in that position. The target changes but in the sense of let’s try to close the distance the best we can and be very close to these positions.

“I think far from a miracle, we just need to not be so unlucky with the problems that we have. We need some players to perform better than they are, we need to perform better as a team, but far from a miracle.”