MANCHESTER CITY – Romelu Lukaku and Jesse Lingard arrived at training on Tuesday as they prepare to continue working to get up to speed with their Manchester United teammates.
Lingard and Lukaku returned to Carrington over the weekend after their respective post-World Cup holidays.
Lingard arrived back in the UK on Sunday and headed straight to the training ground later that day for a private session with fitness coach Paulo Gaudino.
Both arrived for training on Tuesday, with Lingard all smiles as he stopped to sign a shirt and chat with a young United fan.
The attacking duo are set to feature in United’s second game of the season, although Nemanja Matic and Antonio Valencia are likely to still be absent.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has suggested that Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku will be ready to return against Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday.
The England winger missed the win over Leicester City having only just returned from his post-World Cup holiday, while Lukaku was only used as a second-half substitute.
But both players could well be involved from the start against Brighton, with Mourinho suggesting that, following a full weeks’ worth of training, the duo are in better condition to feature.
He told the club’s official website: “I think we will have the same players [as against Leicester]. I think the injured players aren’t going to be back for Brighton.
“What we have is Paul [Pogba] with nine days’ training, [Marcus] Rashford with 11 days’ training, [Marouane] Fellaini with nine days’ training and, of course, they will be in a better condition.
“Normally, these boys that [against Leicester] were in a difficult situation will be ready to give a bit more [against Brighton] – more Lukaku, more Rashford, probably Lingard coming back, more Fellaini. I think normally we’re going to have more.”
That means that United will still be without the likes of Nemanja Matic and Antonio Valencia, while Ander Herrera and Marcos Rojo will also miss out having also been absent from the win over Leicester.
The Red Devils will be looking to build on the opening-day victory over Claude Puel’s men, with Paul Pogba’s penalty and Luke Shaw’s first ever goal for the club ensuring they came out with a 2-1 win.
After facing Brighton, United take on Totenham at Old Trafford on August 27 before a trip to Burnley on September 1.
