Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has admitted that his team are in a "fight for the top four" this season.

United are 12 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City following their 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium in the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon.

The result has also left the Red Devils seven points off the top four, and Mourinho has conceded that his side face a battle to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"It's 12 points. I think our team is improving a lot, even defensively conceding three goals today, it was a positive defensive performance," Mourinho told Sky Sports News.

"We knew that there is a difference in potential. Since the beginning of the season, we knew that our second position last season was a fantastic achievement for us, and this season we are going to fight for the top four.

"We are outside of that, we are having very difficult fixtures, away at Chelsea, away at Manchester City, almost impossibly difficult for us to win three matches in a row. Now we have to go for it and try to build on what we are doing.

"We are outside the top four. How can we speak about the title? To speak about the title you need to be in the top positions. So let's fight to close the gap and jump into the top four, if one day we jump into the top four, we'll see what the difference is."

United will attempt to return to winning ways when they host Crystal Palace after the international break.