Manchester United centre back Harry Maguire is expected to return to the squad for today’s Premier League game at home to Nottingham Forest after missing the last match due to illness, the club said yesterday.
England international Maguire missed United’s 2-0 win over Burnley last week which sealed their place in the League Cup quarter-finals.
“We had some problems with illness like Harry Maguire, but he was back on the training pitch (on Friday) so I’m happy with that,” manager Erik ten Hag told the club media.
Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez and France’s Raphael Varane are unavailable because they are yet to return after playing in the World Cup final.
Ten Hag said the rest of the United players who played in Qatar were in good spirits. “(They had) massive impressions there, but now they are back, and you feel their energy. They are looking forward to the restart (of the Premier League),” he said.
“Rapha Varane and Licha Martinez, they are not there but we hope on their comeback (soon),” he added.
Dean Henderson is ineligible due to being on loan from United but Jesse Lingard is expected to feature on the opposing side at Old Trafford for the first time, after scoring in the Carabao Cup victory at Blackburn Rovers.
Forest boss Steve Cooper is hopeful Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey will be available to deputise for the United man between the posts. Serge Aurier and Morgan Gibbs-White could be fit in time but Omar Richards, Cheikhou Kouyate, Moussa Niakhate and Guilian Biancone are out. “We’ll be expecting Manchester United to be at their best and that’s what we’ll be preparing for. We’re also preparing to be at our best because that’s what we’re going to have to be to get a result from the game. “What I hope more than anything is that we really commit and believe in ourselves because if you don’t have 100% confidence in yourself then nobody’s going to do anything for you so we need to look after ourselves going into the game.” United are fifth in the standings on 26 points after 14 matches, three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur who have played a game more.