Ibra, Pogba back for United, says Mourinho

Paul Pogba and long-term injury victim Zlatan Ibrahimovic will make their Manchester United returns against Newcastle United today, manager Jose Mourinho announced yesterday.
France midfielder Pogba has been out since September with a hamstring injury, while former Sweden striker Ibrahimovic has not played since damaging knee ligaments against Anderlecht in April.
Argentinian defender Marcos Rojo is also set to return, having suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in the same Europa League game as Ibrahimovic.
“Zlatan, last season we played with him every minute almost until he was injured,” Mourinho told his weekly press conference at United’s training base west of Manchester.
“This season we learn how to play without him, but he’s a very important player for us.
“So welcome back and of course he is an incredible personality to fight such an important injury. We were all saying in 2017 he will be back, but one thing is December 31, 2017 and another thing is mid-November.
“He was, as an injured player, the same super professional he is when he’s fit. So fantastic work, same as Marcos.
“He had an important injury too, a big surgery. He played with the young boys (United’s Under-23s) on Wednesday and is fine. He is confident, is also ready.
“Paul is obviously not the same dimension of injury. It was not a surgical situation, but it was also bad and all three are back.”
News of the trio’s availability is a welcome fillip for Mourinho, who has seen his team fall eight points below Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Ibrahimovic, 36, made a stunning impact on English football last season, top-scoring for United with 28 goals in 46 games before succumbing to his career-threatening injury.
Pogba, 24, was less conspicuously successful following his return to the club from Juventus in a then world-record £89.3mn ($117.7mn, 99.8mn euros) transfer.
But he made a strong start to the current campaign, with two goals and two assists in his first six appearances, and United have struggled for form in his absence.