There will be no knee-slide or overt celebration if Manchester United score, no putting his fingers to his lips to quieten the opposing fans and no squaring up to opposite number Antonio Conte.
The Mourinho of 2016 is a more contrite, humble figure than the strutting, brash young boss who arrived in England back in 2004, declaring himself 'The Special One' without a hint of irony.
Humility may never sit easily with Mourinho, but the 53-year-old, chastened by his sacking at Chelsea last December, will return to his former club determined to show he is a changed man.
"Am I going to have a negative reaction if the crowd has something negative with me? No. I think, again, I have enough maturity to control the emotion. I have lots of respect.
"What Manchester United fans can expect from me is more important. What they can expect from me is to play against Chelsea the same way I play against Fenerbahce, Liverpool or anyone, because that is my job."
"When some managers leave clubs, they like to, I don't know the right saying, but in Portuguese it's 'Wash the dirty clothes,'" said Mourinho.