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Following the high-profile departures of Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has assumed a senior role in Manchester United, The National says in an article published on August 5.

“At 28, he is not quite elder statesman but neither is he wet behind the ears. He has talked of helping the new signings integrate and adapt to Mourinho's methods and tactics.

It may have taken a while for him to find his feet but Mkhitaryan now stands tall at Old Trafford. It is obvious from his pre-season outings he will start this Premier League campaign in much better shape than his began the previous,” The National writes, adding that the Armenian footballer has the ability to shine on his own and bring out the best of young talents such as Lukaku, Rashford, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.

“Mkhitaryan was part of a squad that won the League Cup and Europa League last season but could finish only sixth in the league. With Mkhitaryan ready to flourish, United are primed to shake up the top four this season after missing out on it by a fair distance last term and once again do battle with Europe's elite in the Uefa Champions League instead of its lesser lights,” the report concludes.