Manchester United midfielder officially returns after derby day injury

Manchester United have had to cope with their fair share of injuries over the last two seasons, with disrupted back lines becoming an unwelcome theme at Old Trafford.

However, this campaign has felt different, with the squad largely remaining intact, with the lack of mid-week football allowing careful planning around player workloads.

That has been driven in part by the personalised conditioning plans put in place by Ruben Amorim and his staff over the summer.

Every player was given a tailored programme built for them to avoid problems that plagued Erik ten Hag.

As such, United are not only seeing fewer absences, but those who do pick up knocks are returning more quickly.

Benjamin Sesko is the clearest recent example on the men’s side, with the Slovenia international expected to bounce back from his knee issue in as little as three weeks, as CentreDevils exclusively revealed.

For Amorim, it is proof that the club’s approach to recovery and rehabilitation is beginning to pay off after years of feeling permanently stretched.

However it’s not just the men’s team experiencing quick returns from the treatment room.

Manchester United Women have also been navigating a busy run of fixtures, including Saturday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium where several players took heavy knocks.

Now, ahead of their latest European test, the club has confirmed its travelling squad, and there is positive news in midfield.

Manchester United have officially revealed that Ella Toone is fit to be involved, with the England international named in Marc Skinner’s 19-player group for Wednesday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League trip to Wolfsburg.

Toone received lengthy treatment for a scrape down her Achilles during the derby, but has come through training and been cleared to travel, easing fears of a longer lay-off.

Simi Awujo, who suffered a nasty-looking bump to the head late on against City, is also included after returning to training, while former Wolfsburg defender Dominique Janssen is part of the squad for a notable return to the Volkswagen Arena.

Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce remains sidelined with a fractured eye socket, with Millie Turner and Celin Bizet Donnum staying in Manchester to continue their recovery.

For Skinner’s side, this fixture marks another important step in their debut UWCL league-phase campaign, the fourth of six matches in the group.

Having a key creative presence like Toone available again underlines the sense of progression around the team, as United look to turn domestic momentum into a meaningful run on the European stage.