Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has played down his first meeting with friend Aitor Karanka, but acknowledges that it will be a "unique" feeling to face the Middlesbrough boss.

Karanka spent three years as Mourinho's assistant manager at Real Madrid, and the Premier League clash on New Year's Eve will represent the first time that the pair have met in the dugout.

However, Mourinho has insisted that his focus will remain on the match as he looks to extend his club's unbeaten run in the league to 10 games.

The 53-year-old told reporters: "He's my friend. He's a real friend. I always want him to win. He always wants me to win and tomorrow is the first time, a unique time, when we both want to win.

"That's football. Sometimes, it's brothers and brothers, it's probably happened where a father plans a son and that must be more difficult but for 90 minutes, I want to win, he wants to win and that's it."

While United are looking to move closer to the top four in the standings, Middlesbrough sit just four points above the relegation zone.