Aitor Karanka is confident old friend Jose Mourinho will be back in management before long – because he is the best in the business.

The 53-year-old Portuguese has been out of work since parting company with Chelsea in December, but has been repeatedly linked with the Manchester United job currently occupied by Louis van Gaal.

The Spaniard said: “I can be concerned with a coach who has been sacked one or two months ago and he doesn’t have a team now and he isn’t going to have a team. But Jose, I don’t think he has problems to take a team next season.

“When I speak with him, I don’t speak anything about his future because I know he is going to be working because he is the best.”

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