Man Utd Team News: Mourinho Confirms Huge Triple Injury Boost

Manchester United will look to continue their push for the top four when they entertain Sunderland at the Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

Ahead of the game, Jose Mourinho has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this morning and he’s given reporters a team news and injury update.

The Portuguese coach was pleased to confirm that the squad is in great shape with Luke Shaw currently the only absentee as he continues to recover from an injury that’s kept him out of action since the 4-1 EFL Cup win over West Ham on November 30th.

Shaw is expected to miss the Boxing Day visit of Sunderland but Mourinho says the left-back is on the verge of making his comeback so he could be available for the game against Middlesbrough on New Year’s Eve.

Mourinho told ManUtd.com:

“The squad is good. We don’t have many injuries. Even the Luke Shaw injury is coming to an end. We are fine. People are happy.”

The Man Utd twitter account then confirmed that Mourinho told reporters that Shaw is the only player that will miss the Sunderland game which suggests that Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have been passed fit.

The manager confirms in his press conference that Shaw is #MUFC‘s only injury absentee for the Boxing Day meeting with Sunderland.

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 23, 2016

 

Bailly was forced to miss last weekend’s 2-0 win at West Bromwich Albion after suffering a knee injury during the victory against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park four days earlier.

There were concerns the Ivory Coast international could be facing another extended spell on the sidelines having only recently returned to full fitness following another serious knee problem.

However, the injury turned out to be minor and Bailly was able to return to full training with the rest of the first team squad earlier this week and it looks as though he’s now in contention to face Sunderland.

Mkhitaryan has missed the last two games after suffering an ankle injury during the closing stages of United’s win over Tottenham earlier this month but it sounds as though the Armenian international is also now back to full fitness.

The news will be a huge doubt boost to United as Bailly has been excellent since joining the club from Villarreal in the summer while  Mkhitaryan has recently started to show his quality following a slow start to his career at Old Trafford.

Mourinho’s side head in to the festive fixtures sitting just four points off the top four so they’ll be desperate to keep the pressure on Arsenal with another win when 18th-placed Sunderland come to Old Trafford on Boxing Day.