Kobbie Mainoo has returned to Manchester United training ahead of Sunday’s derby against Manchester City, but Matthijs de Ligt faces a late fitness test.
Mainoo, who has not played since February 7 due to an injury suffered in training, will not be able to play a full game but Ruben Amorim has said the 19-year-old midfielder is in contention to be involved.
The United head coach casted doubt on De Ligt’s involvement at City, after the centre-back sustained an injury in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, where he played the full 90 minutes.
“Kobbie is returning to training, we will see and assess for this game,” Amorim said on Friday. “He cannot play a full game, it’s been a long time no training.
“Matthijs has an issue, he got during game, we have to assess.”
De Ligt, who has played 36 games for United since his transfer from Bayern Munich last summer, may join a lengthy list of defensive absentees for United that includes Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and Jonny Evans.
Amorim suggested that Mason Mount, who returned to action against Forest for the first time this calendar year, could start in Sunday’s Premier League match but insisted that “we have to manage his minutes still”.
When asked if a run of games could be the making of the former Chelsea player at Old Trafford, Amorim said: “Let Mount train for a lot of times, get the load in his body and forget about that because the mind sometimes is more important than the body.”
After hosting City on Sunday, United travel to Lyon for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie on April 10 before travelling to Newcastle United in the Premier League three days later.
(Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)