Manchester United face Real Sociedad on Thursday night in a crucial Europa League clash as they look to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of the match, midfielder Mason Mount participated in team training at Carrington on Wednesday morning, providing a glimmer of hope for United fans.
Mount has been sidelined for three months due to injury, last playing in the 2-1 win over Manchester City on December 15, when he was forced off in the first half.
His return to training is a positive sign, but it remains unclear if he will be in contention for Thursday’s game.
Mount’s injury struggles have plagued his first season at United, following his summer move from Chelsea.
Head coach Ruben Amorim is expected to provide an update on the midfielder’s condition during his pre-match press conference, with hopes that Mount can return to action soon.
Alongside Mount, Manuel Ugarte also returned to training after missing last week’s first leg against Sociedad and Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, as per the Manchester Evening News.
Amorim previously stated that United could not afford to rush Ugarte back, making his presence in Thursday’s game uncertain.
In a blow to United, defenders Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire were both absent from training.
Yoro was substituted at half-time during the Arsenal game, while Maguire has missed the last two fixtures due to injury.
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With United’s season hanging in the balance, Thursday’s match against Sociedad is a must-win if they are to progress in the Europa League.
Having already been eliminated from both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, and sitting 14th in the Premier League, the Europa League is United’s last hope of salvaging something from a difficult season.
Despite their domestic struggles, United are the only unbeaten team in this season’s Europa League.
After a rocky start, where they recorded three draws from their first three matches, they won all five of their remaining group-stage fixtures.
The tie with Sociedad is finely poised following last week’s 1-1 draw at the Reale Arena, where United dominated for large periods but were pegged back by a controversial handball decision against Bruno Fernandes, which allowed Mikel Oyarzabal to convert a penalty.
With the away goals rule no longer in play, if no winner emerges from Thursday’s 90 minutes, the tie will proceed to extra time and potentially penalties.
Chido Obi, who also took part in the open training session, will be unavailable for selection after being excluded from the revised Europa League squad.
United’s confirmed training squad for the clash with Sociedad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Andre Onana, Elyh Harrison, Dermot Mee.
Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Victor Lindelof, Ayden Heaven, Tyler Fredricson, Patrick Dorgu, Harry Amass.
Midfielders: Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, Christian Eriksen, Toby Collyer, James Scanlon, Jack Fletcher, Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes.
Forwards: Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho, Chido Obi.
With key players returning to fitness and the pressure mounting, United’s hopes of advancing in the Europa League depend on a strong performance against Sociedad on Thursday night.
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