Injured Quartet Set to Hand Man Utd Timely Boost Ahead of Packed Festive Schedule

Manchester United's injured quartet of stars could be in line to return to the first-team fold ahead of the packed festive fixture schedule.

Jose Mourinho told the club's official website that long-term injured trio Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Marcos Rojo, as well as Marouane Fellaini, were close to regaining full fitness from their various problems.

He said:“We have the group of players which are the ones that we hope will recover as soon as possible. 

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“They have to work every day but they are in a good position now. Pogba, Ibra, Rojo, Fellaini. They are in good positions so I think we can go into this part of the season, the Christmas period, and after, in a strong position.”

Ibrahimovic has been sidelined since April after he ruptured his knee ligaments in the Europa League semi-final clash with Anderlecht.

The veteran striker has kept fans up to date on his rehab programme via social media, and Ibrahimovic was even shown to have finally taken part in shooting drills at the club's Carrington training base.

Rojo - another sufferer of the maligned cruciate knee ligament injury - is expected to resume full training himself at some point in November, but both he and Ibrahimovic won't be rushed back into action in case lengthy setbacks arise.

Pogba has spent the past two months recuperating from a hamstring tear he sustained in the 3-0 Champions League win over Basel on 14th September, while Fellaini has sat out the past four weeks with a twisted knee.

Away from injury comebacks, Mourinho also revealed that his stars not called up for international duty would be allowed some much needed downtime to refresh themselves ahead of the Christmas push.

Plenty of United's players have joined up with their national sides for friendlies and World Cup play-off matches, and Mourinho admitted it was the right time to give others a breather after a gruelling season thus far.

He added: “The international break means the majority of the players fly now from London to their countries. 

"They all disappear and then we have a couple who aren’t selected for their national team, like [Chris] Smalling and [Ander] Herrera and they really deserve, after so many matches, to have a week off which I’m going to give them.”