Man Utd receive major double injury boost ahead of FA Cup clash vs Newport County

Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw both returned to first-team training on Tuesday as Manchester United prepare for their FA Cup fourth round clash at Newport County.

United are back in action on Sunday, heading to Rodney Parade following a two-week winter break. It will be just the third game in what has been a quiet January on the pitch, following their FA Cup third round win over Wigan Athletic and the 2-2 Premier League draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

In preparation for their tie against League Two opposition, the United squad were in training on Tuesday and pictures released by the club showed both Maguire and Shaw involved in full group training.

Maguire has missed United's last six matches after suffering a groin injury in the final Champions League group stage game against Bayern Munich on December 12. The 30-year-old had become a regular starter in the absence of Lisandro Martinez and was arguably Ten Hag’s most reliable defender during that period.

United then lost Shaw just before Christmas due to an injury picked up in the 2-0 defeat at West Ham. His issue was thought to be minor but the left-back has missed four matches, albeit his absence against Tottenham earlier this month was decided by a late fitness test, suggesting he was close to recovering.

Both will have a full week of training to return to match fitness and should be available for Sunday's FA Cup clash. The pair could start at Newport, with a game against lower league opposition presenting a good opportunity to regain sharpness ahead of the Premier League game against Wolves at Molineux on February 1.

Martinez could also be handed a first start since September, following his return from injury off the bench against Tottenham a fortnight ago. The Argentinian had been out of action for almost four months after suffering a recurrence of the foot injury that kept him out for a large chunk of last season.

Ten Hag's pre-game press conference is on Friday afternoon and the United manager will give a clearer update on the fitness of several players at that point.