Manchester United have been handed an injury boost after the club announced that Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has returned to training on the pitch after several weeks on the sidelines.
The 31-year-old suffered a hamstring in the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United on November 1 and has missed all the eight games the Red Devils have played since then.
Man United have been far from impressive without Casemiro, but he is nearing full fitness and could return to action before the end of this year.
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano also shared the update on his official X social media account on Sunday evening, and manager Erik ten Hag will be glad to have the former Real Madrid star available in the coming days.
Man United have won four of the eight games Casemiro has missed, drawing one and losing the other three, and they have largely struggled in the middle of the park in those defeats.
They play Bayern Munich in their most important game of the 2023-24 campaign on Tuesday, and the Brazilian is unlikely to be available for selection.
Man United must win their last Champions League group game if they want to be playing in Europe after Christmas, and Ten Hag has to get his selections and tactics right.
They play Liverpool afterwards at Anfield on Sunday before ending 2023 with league games against West Ham United, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, and having Casemiro available for those games would be a massive boost.
He has already been linked with an exit in January or next summer, and he will be desperate to prove that he still has plenty to offer at this level.
Injuries have ravaged the Man United squad since pre-season, and while that is not an excuse for their underwhelming campaign, Ten Hag would have fancied his side’s chances in some of the games they have lost if he had a fully fit squad.
