Manchester United star spotted in training ahead of Newcastle United clash after 10-game injury blow

Ruben Amorim’s side travel to Lyon for the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash on Thursday night. The Red Devils currently sit 13th in the Premier League table and know that winning the Europa League is their only route into Europe next season.

Manchester United are on course for their worst ever Premier League finish and points total, with a bottom half finish likely if they cannot transform their fortunes on the pitch. However, ahead of their clash with Lyon and trip to St James’ Park on Sunday, they have received a major fitness boost.

Manchester United fitness boost

Amorim could have the services of Kobbie Mainoo available to him in France and on Tyneside for the first time in almost two months. Training pictures released on Wednesday have shown Mainoo on the grass at Carrington in preparation for their Europa League outing.

Mainoo hasn’t featured at all for Manchester United since a 2-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace at the beginning of February and was ruled-out of Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad after picking up a muscle injury. Mainoo, who turns 20-years-old later this month, has been sidelined for his club’s last ten matches, a run that has seen them pick up just three wins in all competitions.

A draw against Manchester City on Sunday saw Amorim’s side remain 13th in the Premier League table, with the former Sporting CP manager admitting post-match that Mainoo was close to featuring against the Citizens: “Kobbie Mainoo is training with us,” Amorim said. “We want to be careful, again, with our players, but maybe he’s going to be in our squad [v Lyon]."

Along with Mainoo, Amorim is also expecting to have Harry Maguire available for selection in their upcoming games, despite being taken off before the hour mark at the weekend. “Harry Maguire just had 60 minutes allowed from the medical department to play, so he's fit and ready to go,” Amorim added.

“So we need to be careful on this. It’s not an injury, it’s just [that] we had a time that we could use Harry without any danger.

Keep up with the match-day action from NUFC and sign up for our football newsletters

“We cannot lose any more players, we have to try to divide the moments between the players. We have a really important game on Thursday.”

Manchester United’s recent record v Newcastle United

The Old Trafford outfit head to the north east this weekend without a win on their last three visits to Tyneside. They have lost on both of their most recent trips to St James’ Park, failing to trouble the scorers on either occasion.

Newcastle United’s win in the reverse fixture at the end of December was just their second ever win there in the Premier League and marked the fourth time in their previous five meetings that they had come away from a clash with the Red Devils with all three points. Eddie Howe’s side have won four games in a row in all competitions and will begin Sunday’s game 15 points above their opponents and in control of their own Champions League qualification destiny.

Your next Newcastle United read: £12m man finally granted Newcastle United wish after issuing plea