Paul Pogba is set to return to the Manchester United fold for their New Year’s Day trip to Arsenal, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer preparing to welcome the World Cup winner back from another enforced break.
The France international midfielder has endured an injury-ravaged 2019-20 campaign.
A return to action was made prior to Christmas against Watford, but Pogba was missing again when United saw off Burnley 2-0 in their most recent outing.
Solskjaer was eager to point out ahead of that contest that the 26-year-old was merely being rested after missing a large chunk of the season with an ankle complaint.
The Red Devils boss expects to have Pogba at his disposal against Arsenal, with there no reason to believe that he will be absent once again.
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Quizzed on whether an enigmatic talent will form part of his plans in north London, Solskjaer said: “Yeah, I would think so.”
He added on why Pogba missed out against Burnley: “When you’ve been out for such a while, it’s always going to take time to be 100 per cent.
“He just needed another day, probably, of recovery.”
Scott McTominay is the only notable absentee for United, although Ashley Young and Axel Tuanzebe also sat out a training session on Monday.
Diogo Dalot and Eric Bailly have returned to the fold, with Solskjaer pleased to see fitness concerns easing as he welcomes much-needed competition back to his ranks.
The Norwegian added, with United back to within four points of the Premier League’s top four: “Well, if we can keep [our forwards] fit and if we can keep on improving, one addition, if you get two additions, of course that’s going to be competition for places, and that’s what you’ve got to deal with at this club.
“We haven’t had enough [competition] because we’ve had so many injuries, but now we’re getting more and more players fit. So now I’ve got to leave players out that I maybe should have played.
“So [on Saturday] Luke [Shaw] and Aaron [Wan-Bissaka] were replaced by two fantastic performers with Ashley [Young] and Brandon [Williams], so it gives me more options.”