Cape Town - Manchester
United may have Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in action sooner than expected,
after he was included in their UEFA Champions League squad.
The 35-year-old striker recently signed a new one-year contract with the Red Devils after being released at the end of last season, but remains sidelined with a knee injury that required surgery.
It was thought that Ibrahimovic would be out of contention until at least the end of the year, but his inclusion in Jose Mourinho's 24-man squad suggests he may be closer to full fitness.
The Swede made a big impact at Old Trafford last term, scoring 28 goals across all competitions, before a knee ligament injury cut his campaign short in April.
United are set to face Basel, Benfica, and CSKA Moscow in the group stages and will get their European adventure underway on September 12 against the RotBlau.
Meanwhile Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku said insists he is looking forward to having Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in the fray and doesn't fear for his position in the side.
Lukaku has made a strong start to his career at the Red Devils, scoring three goals in three Premier League games and doesn't believe Ibrahimovic, who is due to return from injury towards the end of the year, will negatively impact his position in the squad.
“I said to Zlatan I hoped he would be back. We need his personality,” Lukaku said, according to the club's official website. “He will bring many qualities to the team, and help us in our goal of winning the title.
“I don’t fear the competition as a striker, or Zlatan. Things are going really well for me at United,” he added. “The pre-season was good and it helped knowing a lot of the players before arriving.