Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that Nemanja Matic is back in contention after recovering from a groin problem which has kept him out since the middle of October.
The Serbia international has been used sparingly by Solskjaer during the course of the current campaign and his last appearance came away to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League which ended 0-0.
Ahead of the home meeting against Alkmaar, Solskjaer confirmed that Matic is available for selection. He added that Diogo Dalot and Mason Rojo are not far off from making their comebacks while Eric Bailly and Timothy Fosu-Mensah will start regular training with the team next week.
“Diogo [Dalot] is back training fully but has only had one day. Nemanja [Matic] is back. [Marcos] Rojo is hopefully back next week. Eric [Bailly] and Timothy [Fosu-Mensah] are training with the team from next week onwards,” he was quoted as saying by the club’s official website.
Aside from the quintet, Solskjaer also offered an update on the fitness of Paul Pogba. The Norwegian stated that the Frenchman may need more time to recover from his ankle problem, he continued: “Paul is not ready to play but won’t be far away.”
United are currently at the top of their Europa League group with 10 points on the board but they are just one ahead of second-placed Alkmaar. In order to be seeded for the round of 32 draw, the Red Devils need to avoid a defeat to claim the top spot and Solskjaer will definitely field a more experienced side compared to the Astana game, where a number of Under-23 players were handed with debuts.
As per the club’s website, Solskjaer has confirmed that Matic will feature in the matchday squad against Alkmaar and it remains to be seen whether the Serbian makes the starting lineup.
The 31-year-old’s future remains a topic of speculation amid his frustration over the limited playing time. He has managed just 340 minutes of first-team football this season.
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