Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful the remaining seven injured Manchester United players will be fit after the international break.
United welcomed back Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial from muscular injuries in their Premier League defeat at Arsenal, where Matic started and Martial emerged off the bench in the 70th minute.
Ander Herrera (hamstring) returned to training on the eve of the Arsenal fixture but was not deemed fit enough to make the provisional squad. Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard (both hamstring) also took part in United’s Friday session at Carrington but may not feature until later in the month.
Antonio Valencia (calf), Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones (ill) and Alexis Sanchez (knee) are not fit enough to participate with teammates but United do not play in the Premier League again until they host Watford on March 30. United travel to Wolves for their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday but the March internationals commence the week beginning the 18th and Solskjaer is optimistic United will have a fully fit squad for the visit of Watford.
When asked whether competing on three fronts would force him to prioritise competitions, Solskjaer replied: “No, we don’t have to choose with injuries we’ve had lately.
“That’s given us a great chance to give players playing time and game-time and they’re coming back maybe for Wolves but after the international break we’ve got a full squad fit and the ones who’ve come in when the regulars have been injured have done really well, so we’ll be ready for that.”
Sixth-placed Chelsea are a point behind United, in fifth, and have a game in hand at Everton on Sunday. Solskjaer’s side are two points adrift of Arsenal, in fourth, and three off third-placed Tottenham and Solskjaer expects the top four tussle between the teams to go ‘down to the wire’.
“Nervous? I don’t think nerves go into it yet,” Solskjaer opined. “But, of course, Spurs lose, we lose, Chelsea draw, it’s gonna be down to the wire, last few games, definitely.