Man Utd receive injury boost ahead of Bournemouth with return of attacker out since July

Manchester United received an injury boost ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game against Bournemouth, with the news that Amad is back in full training.

The winger picked up a long-term knee injury in July during a pre-season friendly against Arsenal, and has not featured at all this campaign as a result. Amad has been back training on the grass since late October, but United confirmed on Friday that the 21-year-old has returned to full-contact sessions this week.

The club said via their website that Amad ‘worked with the main group’ on Thursday and added that it ‘remains to be seen’ whether he will be fit enough to play a role for United this weekend when Bournemouth come to Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag will be hoping his side can build on Wednesday night’s midweek victory over Chelsea, with a Scott McTominay brace seeing the Red Devils move back into sixth place and are now just three points off the Champions League spots.

Regardless of whether Amad is selected in the matchday squad, he will almost certain not start, and Ten Hag is likely to stick with the same front three that impressed against Chelsea: Antony, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho. That would mean Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial would again miss out, as they did on Wednesday.

But an additional attacking option will be huge boost for Ten Hag, who has been without Jadon Sancho since the beginning of September following his infamous social media post.

Therefore, Amad could get a chance in the first team, something he’s lacked since his 2021 switch from Atlanta, and the Ivorian has only made nine senior appearances, just three of which have come in the league. He did, however, impress last season at Sunderland and thanked Tony Mowbray this week after he was sacked as Black Cats boss.