Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived with Manchester United's team-mates at training on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho's men prepare for their crunch Premier League clash with Liverpool on Saturday.
The Swede hasn't spent much time at the club's training base while recovering from knee ligament damage suffered in April against Anderlecht. Ibrahimovic was not due to return to action before January but he's pushing for a shock comeback early in December, with the Arsenal match on December 2 his ideal first team return date.
The 36-year-old has largely worked on his recovery alone, although he was snapped alongside club legend Andy Cole working out in Carrington, according to the Metro.
Ibrahimovic's United contract expired in the summer and it is understood he originally refused manager Jose Mourinho's offer of an extension out of pride. However, Ibrahimovic's recovery from a cruciate knee ligament injury has gone better than anticipated and he eventually inked a new United deal.
Ibrahimovic is expected to return to full training later this year and even though Mourinho indicated earlier this season the Swede would not play until January there is a possibility Ibrahimovic will make his comeback in 2017. Mourinho is keen for Ibrahimovic to return so he can rotate Romelu Lukaku.
"Look without Zlatan we cannot rotate the striker, especially because Marcus Rashford is playing also in other positions," Mourinho stressed, as reported by Manchester Evening News.
"So until the moment we have Zlatan we cannot think about giving rest to our number nine the same way we give in other positions. We cannot do that."
"I think we are a better team," Mourinho told Sky when asked to compare United with last season. "You can say, like some people do, we have not played one of the top five teams but last season we did not beat West Ham at home, last season we did not beat Everton at home or Southampton away.
"I think it would be unfair to say Lukaku and Matic did not make an impact, we have to admit that and give them what they deserve.
"But also the team give Matic and Lukaku the conditions to arrive the way they have.
"Globally we are a better team, does that mean we are going to be as successful as last season, winning two titles? I don't know. But we are better."
