Harry Maguire posts positive update as hopes grow of return to face Liverpool
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire hopes to soon return to training as hopes grow that the defender could return to action to face Liverpool.
The centre-back has missed United’s last two games with a calf injury which, in the words of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, did not look good. As a result, he was unavailable for England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary.
Maguire again looks set to miss out to former club Leicester on Saturday and will again be missed.
But hopes are growing that a return could soon be on the cards with a return to training provisionally pencilled in for next week.
The 28-year-old told the club’s official website: “It’s getting there. I still haven’t trained yet with the squad but I am getting better, I am progressing as I should be.
“It is obviously a frustrating injury for me to get. But I am progressing and I will be back on the pitch soon.”
As well as Maguire, United are also now with Raphael Varane. He sustained a groin problem while on international duty with France and is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks.
It means United will likely field Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly at the King Power Stadium as a centre-half pairing.
Magure is unlikely to start against Atalanta in Wednesday’s Champions League clash. However, he may return for the game with Liverpool on October 24.
In other good news, Marcus Rashford and Phil Jones have both trained throughout the international break following long-term injuries. Rashford could come into contention for this weekend’s game at the King Power.
Jones, however, is not part of United’s 25-man Premier League squad.
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Ronaldo ramifications prompt January exit calls
Meanwhile, a pundit has urged a United star to leave in January following Cristiano Ronaldo’s Old Trafford return.
Despite being 36, Ronaldo has already made several telling contributions on the pitch. However, his return has also ruffled feathers in the forward ranks, most notably shunting Edinson Cavani down the order.
His lack of domestic game-time has also begun to seep into the international arena. For their recent World Cup qualifier defeat to Argentina, Cavani only made the bench.
As such, fellow countryman, Gus Poyet, believes a January exit may salvage his international career.
“He was unlucky, because without Ronaldo coming in, he was playing as the main striker,” Poyet told talkSPORT (via the Sun).
“The decision of Juventus, Man City getting involved, incredibly went against one person especially – and that was Cavani. Maybe he should move in January.
“From the outside, I don’t know him. But if I was him, seeing how things are now, and seeing him not getting to 90 minutes for the national team because he’s not playing – maybe.”
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