Manchester United eased back into Champions League life as Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford put Basle to the sword.

The only negative on the Reds' return to what manager Jose Mourinho calls their "natural habitat" was an injury to Paul Pogba, who left clutching his hamstring 19 minutes into his first game leading the side out as captain.

Things could have been different had Raphael Wicky's side started with any of the intensity shown by their fans, who quickly made themselves heard at Old Trafford -- although their use of flares could lead to UEFA action.

A snatched Luca Zuffi attempt was the best the visitors could muster before United's pressure told in the 35th minute, thanks in no small part to Ashley Young's exceptional work.

The resulting corner brought United's second goal as Daley Blind followed a one-two with a driven cross into the box, where Lukaku outjumped the visitors' defence to power home a header.