Mason Mount was back in training for Manchester United on Wednesday, with the Englishman seemingly having a strong chance of returning to the Red Devils squad for the FA Cup final.
The 20-time English champions will be bidding to end what has been a largely disappointing campaign on a positive note when they tackle Manchester City in the final of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.
A win for Man United would see them land domestic silverware in successive seasons and also secure a spot in the group stage of the 2024-25 Europa League.
However, a defeat would leave the club without any form of European football next season, and it could potentially prove to be Erik ten Hag's final match at the helm.
Man United have had huge injury problems this season, but their squad has been boosted of late, with Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane, Willy Kambwala and Lisandro Martinez all back to fitness.
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Mount bidding to return to squad for FA Cup final
Luke Shaw is losing his battle to be available for the FA Cup final, though, with the left-back having a setback in his recovery from a muscular issue.
Meanwhile, Harry Maguire has admitted that he 'doesn't know' whether he will be available, as the experienced centre-back is nursing a muscular problem of his own.
Mount has missed Man United's last three matches with an unspecified issue, but head coach Ten Hag insisted earlier this month that the playmaker had not suffered a serious problem.
The 25-year-old was able to train alongside his teammates on Wednesday, suggesting that he could be in the squad for the clash with the Premier League title winners.
Mount has struggled with a number of injury problems this season, being restricted to just 19 appearances in all competitions, while he has only managed one goal and one assist.
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Mount could play an important role on Saturday
It has not been the season that Man United nor Mount would have expected, but he is capable of having an impact in the clash with Man City.
Mount, if he is in the squad, is likely to start on the bench, but if Man United can stay in the contest, his energy, desire and work-rate could be important in the latter stages.
The Englishman's only goal for the Red Devils came off the bench late on against Brentford at the end of March, and he demonstrated his quality in the big moments during his time at Chelsea.
Mount managed 33 goals and 35 assists in 195 fixtures for his former club, famously winning the Champions League in 2020-21.
Man United will need to be near-perfect in order to beat Man City on Saturday, and the expected return of Mount is hugely positive news for the 20-time English champions.
Matt Law
