Man Utd team news: Solskjaer confirms double blow but trio could return on Sunday

Manchester United will be looking to close-in on the top four with a win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday afternoon.

Ahead of the game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this morning and he’s provided a full team news and injury update including the latest on the fitness of several members of his squad.

The Man Utd boss confirmed a blow with the news that Scott McTominay is facing a few weeks on the sidelines as he continues to recover from an ankle injury that he picked up during the win over Brighton before the international break.

Solskjaer says McTominay is expected to sit out the upcoming games against Sheffield United, Astana and Aston Villa but the United boss is hoping to have the midfielder available again for the crunch matches with Tottenham and Manchester City next month.

Manchester United will also have to make-do without the services of Paul Pogba for the foreseeable future as Solskjaer has confirmed the Frenchman is still not close to making his long-awaited comeback.

Pogba has been struggling with an ankle problem over the past couple of months and although he had his cast removed last week, latest scan results showed the injury still isn’t fully healed so the midfielder still isn’t able to return to training.

However, there is some positive news for Man Utd as Nemanja Matic, Luke Shaw and Axel Tuanzebe all returned to full training this week after recovering from injuries. Solskjaer has suggested they aren’t fit to start but they could make the bench against Sheffield United this weekend.

Solskjaer told ManUtd.com:

“Scott will be out for a little while, still. He has not been training with us, he is still recovering and, hopefully, we can see him, maybe, around the time of Tottenham or [Manchester] City [next month]. We don’t know yet. he heals quickly, Scotty, but he is not going to be ready for Sheffield United or Astana, definitely. Probably not [Aston] Villa either.

”Paul is improving. obviously he has been out and, when you are in a cast for that long, you do lose your muscle, so gradually you have to step it up. He has not started on his football work yet so it will still be a little while before we see him.“

“Of course, it is always helpful when players are coming back and we have numbers in training. We shouldn’t expect too much of them because they have been out for a long, long time. Axel, the last game he played was Newcastle. Nemanja was injured in the international break that week. Shawy, or Luke, has been out for three months now, more or less.

”At least they are training, training hard, and if we can give them some game time then that will be good.“

Solskjaer on Pogba: "He had another test & a scan just at the start of the international break & it's not healed yet, but he's stepping up his recovery & he's out of a cast so he doesn't have to have the cast on" #MUFC

— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) November 22, 2019

Diogo Dalot, Eric Bailly and Tom Fosu-Mensah also stepped-up their recoveries by taking part in light training this week but they aren’t expected to be in contention for a place in the squad for the trip to Bramall Lane on Sunday.

United head into the game sitting seventh in the Premier League table but they face a tough test away to a Sheffield United side that are two places above them following an excellent return to the top flight.