With his long-anticipated return to training, Christian Eriksen has given Manchester United a major boost ahead of their match against Everton on Saturday.
After suffering an ankle injury in the 3-1 FA Cup victory against Reading, the 31-year-old has been sidelined since January.
After sustaining ligament damage during an intense challenge from Andy Carroll, he was initially expected to be sidelined until the end of April.
The Danish international, though, suggested an earlier comeback last month after removing his protective boot.
He has since been seen participating fully in training at Carrington, much to the pleasure of manager Erik ten Hag and Red Devils supporters.
Eriksen’s participation in this weekend’s match at the Theatre of Dreams against the Toffees is uncertain, though.
Ten Hag is aware that in order to reduce the chance of a setback, he will need to be cautious when reintroducing the former Tottenham playmaker.
His return is timely for United, which will play Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal next week before taking on Brighton in the FA Cup semifinal later that month.
Eriksen will undoubtedly play a significant part during the remainder of the season as United fights to stay in fourth place.
Ten Hag mentioned earlier in the week that the former Inter Milan player was getting closer to making a comeback.
Eriksen won’t be available on Wednesday, but he will be back on the field, he remarked when asked about it before the 1-0 victory over Brentford.
“We have to evaluate how quickly he can now make the progress since he’s back to team training [on Tuesday].”
Red Devils hold Giorgi Mamardashvili meeting
Giorgi Mamardashvili’s representatives have reportedly spoken with Manchester United and visited with them in advance of a potential transfer.
Mamardashvili, 22, joined the La Liga team permanently last year after initially being on loan from Dinamo Tbilisi. He is a 22-year-old.
At 6 feet 4 inches tall, the international player from Georgia has played 52 times for Valencia and recorded 16 shutouts. The left-footed goalkeeper has a career-high €25m (£22m) Transfermarkt rating and seems to have caught the attention of those at Old Trafford.
In the last 48 hours, United and Mamardashvili have received an update from COPE, according to Sport Witness. But, both Manchester United and Premier League rivals Tottenham have already been in touch and undertaken talks of their own. They stated that Mamardashvili’s agents were in London for a meeting with Chelsea.
According to the source, Mamardashvili just signed a new deal with Valencia that runs through 2027 and contains a €100m (£87m) release clause that could need to be used to complete a transfer.
Why does Old Trafford require Mamardashvili?
The club may also need to bring in a new goalkeeper, but Erik ten Hag’s top recruitment targets this summer are a new striker and midfielder.
While Tom Heaton and Jack Butland are only on loan and David de Gea has a contract that expires at the end of the season, respectively, the former is sure of getting a new one. Dean Henderson is currently out on loan at Nottingham Forest, but he is expected to complete a permanent move away from Old Trafford in the near future, potentially leaving Ten Hag with just De Gea.
You can see why the team is making a first move to sign a player like Mamardashvili, who Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed as one of the most talented Georgian players with Napoli striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. According to Kulig, Mamardashvili has exceeded all expectations this season and has emerged as one of the most in-demand goalkeepers in Europe, leading United to consider him as a potential long-term replacement for De Gea.
Although the Red Devils may have to compete with Chelsea and Spurs for the shot-stopper and spend a lot of money on his services, it might be a name to watch out for in what could be a very busy summer transfer season for the club.
