Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has received a significant boost in his injury rehabilitation efforts ahead of the Qatar World Cup.
According to The Daily Mail, Maguire is back in team training and running with his teammates.
The England international will not feature against Newcastle, as Ten Hag confirmed in his press conference, but could be available for selection as soon as the next game for his side.
The 29-year-old has been out of action since England’s incredible draw against Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
They were fears that the defender could miss out on the World Cup courtesy of the injury setback, but the player will now have a chance to stake his claim in Gareth Southgate’s team.
Southgate has come under increasing pressure to drop Maguire from the Three Lions team in favour of other players who feature more prominently for their clubs.
Maguire lost his place in the team, with Ten Hag preferring a partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez over the former Leicester man.
Southgate admitted concerns about the skipper’s lack of playing time for the 20-time English champions but backed him to return to his best form. He said he would only drop him should the situation become untenable.
Maguire’s return could not come at a better time for the Reds.
After Newcastle, United embark on a string of challenging games, where they will face Tottenham, Chelsea and West Ham.
The Europa League is another competition, with Ten Hag looking to finish first in the group.
Varane and Martinez, however brilliant they are, cannot play every game and must be rested occasionally. It will fall to Maguire to come into the team and let his performances speak for him.
United Matchday Magazine – the ultimate match experience
Take your seat for the Newcastle match and get instant access to the best online United magazine around!
- Get all the match build-up, articles, news, puzzles, nostalgia and humour
- Online football content like you’ve never seen before
- No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United
- Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
- Click Preview to see more or buy for just £1.25/$1.50
- Limited time offer: SAVE £10 on a season pass – use discount code SEASON35 at checkout.
