Rasmus Hojlund and his teammates walk back towards the halfway line after his goal at Leicester City.
Manchester United could soon have very strong competition for places.
Manchester United have been boosted by the returns of Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Luke Shaw to team training ahead of Tuesday's Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The midweek trip to the Midlands will mark the beginning of the final sprint to the finish line and United will be eager to end the season as strongly as possible, both domestically and in Europe.
With United facing a maximum of 14 more games this season, head coach Ruben Amorim will need as many options available to him as possible. With Maguire, Yoro and Shaw back in training, plus goalkeepers Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton, United's squad suddenly has a much healthier look about it. United will also be hoping to have Kobbie Mainoo back soon.
With Amorim's list of options set to grow, the task of picking a starting XI and bench for the run-in will create a selection headache. Only Lisandro Martinez is currently scheduled to miss the rest of the season, though it could be late on in May by the time Amad is in with a shout of returning.
Starting with what could become Amorim's first-choice starting XI in the coming weeks, Andre Onana should continue as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. He has not missed a single Premier League game in his time at United and there is very little chance of him being ousted before the season reaches its conclusion.
With Yoro and Maguire back in training and seemingly in contention for the trip to Forest, they will both be targeting places in the starting XI for the run-in. Yoro joined United from Lille last summer and the expectation is that he will become their long-term right-sided centre-back under Amorim.
Matthijs de Ligt was in great form prior to the international break and should continue in the centre of the back-three. Ayden Heaven quickly nailed down a place prior to the international break, offering United some much-needed balance on the left of the defence by being left-footed.
If his injury is not going to sideline him for too long, he should be knocking on Amorim's door to retain his place at the expense of Victor Lindelof and Maguire, neither of whom are left-footed. But if Heaven is to be unavailable for a period of time, Maguire should slot back into the defence.
Ayden Heaven's injury is not as serious as first feared. (Image: Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images.)
With Amad not expected back until the very final stages of the campaign, Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot will be competing for the right wing-back spot. Mazraoui has been the better of the two this season, but neither of them are natural wing-backs, meaning it is not an ideal situation.
Dalot is arguably the more attack-minded of the two and that might nudge him ahead. Patrick Dorgu is a shoo-in at left wing-back.
Sandwiched between the two wing-backs, Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes should be allowed to build on the solid foundations they laid as a partnership prior to the international break. The latter has been far more effective since occupying a deeper role and Amorim should not feel any need to adjust his position.
Despite Amad still being sidelined and Fernandes being moved into the centre of midfield, competition for places to start in the two No.10 positions is high, with Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen, Joshua Zirkzee, Alejandro Garnacho and Mainoo all in contention. It is hard to predict who Amorim may back for those two roles, but Mainoo flexed his muscles in that area of the team prior to his injury and United looked better with Garnacho on the pitch.
Up front, Rasmus Hojlund is the only senior No.9 on offer and he deserves to start after finally getting back among the goals away at Leicester City prior to the international break.
Looking to the bench, Bayindir should provide support for Onana after being absent for almost two months. Defensive cover can be supplied by Mazraoui, Maguire and Shaw on the provision Heaven can recover from his injury and continue on the left of the back-three.
Luke Shaw has not played since December 1. (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images.)
United have a lot of options in midfield when everyone is fit, meaning Casemiro, Eriksen and Mount could provide cover in that department. Toby Collyer could miss out.
Zirkzee and Chido Obi should complete the bench, offering attacking cover. But once Amad returns, he will add extra competition for both the wing-back and No.10 positions and will be aiming to start.
United's strongest 20-man matchday squad with everyone fit for the run-in:
Starting XI: Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Heaven; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mainoo, Garnacho; Hojlund.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Mount, Zirkzee, Obi.