It’s the question on every Manchester United fan’s mind. When will Christian Eriksen return to action for United?
The Dane has been out injured since fiery tackles by Reading players during the tie on January 29th left him on crutches. His absence has been keenly felt by the Manchester United midfield which has been looking for a calm head on the ball ever since his injury.
Fortunately, his return is inching closer after more than two months out. Earlier, Erik ten Hag gave an encouraging update on Christian Eriksen’s return when he said he’s back on the pitch. Further good news followed before the Brentford game. The manager said that Eriksen had now returned to team training.
This means that Eriksen has moved past his injury concerns and now focuses on getting match fit. So, when can Christian Eriksen make his return to the United team? Here’s a look at the upcoming fixtures to predict a realistic return timeline for him.
When will Christian Eriksen return?
Having returned to team training just before the Brentford game, the thought of him appearing against his old club was always a non-starter. Furthermore, the Everton game on April 8th might come too soon as well.
Erik ten Hag has shown great care when reintroducing injury-stricken players to the team this season. Anthony Martial didn’t start for United against Brentford despite an encouraging cameo against Newcastle the match before.
Therefore, it is unlikely he even makes the bench for the Everton game.
However, the game to watch out for is the Europa League quarterfinal against Sevilla.
Falling on April 13th, giving United a much-needed 4-5 day gap, it would be the perfect fixture to reintroduce Christian Eriksen.
Europa League games, especially against Spanish opposition, are typically stingy affairs for United. Moreover, they are less physical than PL games. Therefore, it would be the ideal game for Eriksen to get his feet wet.
There will also be another factor in the works here. Casemiro will be available for the game against Sevilla. Giving Eriksen his return in this game would allow Erik ten Hag to see his potentially best midfield duo in action at the perfect time.
Manchester United are entering the business end of the season and with the return of Martial, Eriksen, and Casemiro, he would potentially be armed with his best XI which hasn’t been a regular occurrence.
Erik ten Hag has been at pains to stress that whenever he has had his best XI on the field, they have sparkled, referencing the emphatic 2-1 victory at home against Manchester City.
Therefore, barring any unfortunate setbacks in team training and the recovery process, the Europa League quarterfinal against Sevilla is the game to watch out for when it comes to Christian Eriksen’s injury return.