LONDON -- Antonio Conte admitted that it would be better for Chelsea if Jose Mourinho leaves Paul Pogba out of his Manchester United team when the two teams meet at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Mourinho made the surprise decision to select academy youngster Scott McTominay ahead of Pogba for United's goalless draw away to Sevilla in the Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday, amid reports that the pair have clashed over the Frenchman's form and best position on the pitch.
Conte said that he expects to see Pogba restored to United's starting XI on Sunday, adding that Mourinho will be playing into Chelsea's hands if the midfielder is left out again.
"We are talking about a top player, about a fantastic player," Conte said of Pogba. "My expectation is to see him on the pitch. Then if he stays out it will be better for us."
Asked how he got the best out of Pogba during his time at Juventus, Conte said: "Every coach has to find the right way to manage him. Pogba is showing in United as well that he's a top player.
"[But] My focus is only for Chelsea, not the other team."
Anticipation for Sunday's game has been heightened by the public escalation in tensions between Conte and Mourinho since the turn of the year, with the Chelsea head coach calling his United counterpart a "little man" and a "fake" following an FA Cup third-round draw with Norwich City in January.
At the time Conte said the meeting at Old Trafford would be an opportunity to settle his differences with Mourinho "face to face," but he shut down any questions about the Portuguese in his Friday news conference in a bid to keep the focus on the pitch.
"I think in the past we both said things," Conte said when asked about Mourinho. "For me it's ok, I'm not interested to speak about this topic."
Pressed on whether he would be happy to shake Mourinho's hand, Conte replied: "I repeat, I'm not interested in this [topic]."
Conte has no new injury concerns following Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League round of 16, though David Luiz, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley remain unavailable after missing that game.
Victory at Old Trafford would see Chelsea complete a Premier League double over United as well as gain an advantage in the race for a top-four finish, but Conte insisted that this achievement carries little significance for him.
"I consider it a big achievement if you win something at the end of the season," he added. "If you are happy because you win only one game against a big team, it means your mentality is very little. You don't have a great mentality."