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Man United's Jose Mourinho focused on EFL Cup despite Liverpool clash

Jose Mourinho has pledged to give Manchester United's EFL Cup semifinal against Hull everything, despite this weekend's clash with Liverpool looming large.

United will look to extend an eight-match winning run in all competitions when the Premier League's bottom side arrive at Old Trafford for Tuesday's first leg.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are among those Mourinho will recall as the Portuguese looks to follow up his side's Community Shield success and return to Wembley next month.

The EFL Cup was the first trophy Mourinho won in England as Chelsea boss back in 2005 and he hopes to move closer to lifting it for a fourth time on Tuesday, despite the clash with Liverpool taking place on Sunday.

"We play against Liverpool, it's a big match for us, but we want to be in the final," he said. "So we are going to face this Hull match with everything we have, with all the power we have.

"We know that it's two legs but the second leg is away, so if you can do something in the first leg that gives you an advantage, we are going to try and do that.

"I think for big clubs a competition is a competition. I was never good at choosing competitions. At some of my clubs you arrive at April and you have a busy fixture list but you are in competitions to try to win, to try to do things.

"I won the League Cup twice in Cardiff but when it moved to Wembley, I think the meaning is even better so why not try [to win it]?

"It's a two-legged competition. If we don't play well in one leg you have another match to try so we are going to try."

Standing in United's way of the final is new Hull boss Marco Silva.

The Portuguese coach was surprisingly announced as Mike Phelan's successor at Hull last Thursday, having impressed at Estoril, Sporting Lisbon and Olympiakos.

"I don't think it is good for Marco to be compared with me," Mourinho said. "I don't think it's good for him, and I don't think it's fair but I can see a similar start of career because he was in a small club, Estoril, before he moved to Sporting.

"I was in a small club, Leiria, before I moved to Porto, so we had a similar start in Portugal.

"He did well and I see him as an intelligent guy with a good attitude. I really wish him well but not a good start -- he has to lose three matches [against United this month]."

Silva was glad to hear Mourinho tried to move away from any comparisons.

"It's never good when you compare some different people or coaches. It's not good," the Hull manager said. "I am very happy because Mourinho is a Portuguese coach and what he did in his career is fantastic for him and our country. I am a different person, a different coach."

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