Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has claimed that he travelled to Belgium last week to monitor Romelu Lukaku's return from injury, rather than to scout potential transfer targets.

Mourinho was reportedly in attendance for Belgium's UEFA Nations League clash with Iceland on Friday night to watch Tottenham Hotspur's Toby Alderweireld, who was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer.

Meanwhile, another report claimed that Mourinho had also been watching Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel ahead of a potential move in the January transfer window.

However, the United boss has insisted that he simply wanted to keep a close eye on Lukaku's rehabilitation from a hamstring problem.

"As I told the Belgian press I went for the weather! Beautiful fog, something I don't have here. I went fundamentally to be with Lukaku, to feel him, to see his situation, his injury. Roberto [Martinez] invited me to meet him, which I decided not to because I don't like to do disturb people before matches," Mourinho told reporters.

"But I was with Roberto on the phone trying to feel, trying to understand the problem and evolution of the problem. And of course I like to watch football, I was in London a couple of hours, train, easy to go."

Lukaku has not scored a Premier League goal since the middle of September.