CHELSEA V UNITED Reds set for boost with Ander return

ANDER Herrera is back in contention for United for this lunchtime’s trip to Stamford Bridge but Jose Mourinho could be without a number of players.

The midfielder has not played since the win against Burnley at the start of September, but could be available for the trip to Mourinho’s former club.

Herrera was one of a number of players missing for the comeback win against Newcastle before the international break and Mourinho was asked if any of those players would be available for the clash against Chelsea.

“Players that are going to make an effort to be available for the team, like Herrera,” he told MUTV.

“He trained two days but, with the situation we have, is one step forward and he’s ready to help us.”

The United manager also explained that a number of players had come back from international break with injuries he wasn’t aware of.

“Some came back in good condition and the happiness of some good results,” Mourinho added.

“Some came back with injuries, injuries that we were aware of when they happened and the national teams were correct in sending the boys back. We also had surprises with players that we had no idea that they were injured and they arrived with important injuries.”

Luke Shaw pulled out of the England squad with a slight knock he picked up in the game against Newcastle while Nemanja Matic was sent home from Serbia with a back injury. Scott McTominay was also sent back to United by Scotland. JOSE Mourinho admits he would ‘love’ to bring Eden Hazard to United but believes Chelsea would not sell him to a direct rival.

The M.E.N. revealed this week Hazard is Mourinho’s ideal signing and the 27-year-old admitted last week he would like to reunite with the Portuguese, who coached Hazard for twoand-a-half years at Chelsea.

United were interested in signing Hazard when he was 21 back in 2012 but the Belgium international opted to join Chelsea and has gone on to win two Premier Leagues, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League.

Mourinho was Hazard’s manager in the season where he was voted the PFA Player of the Year, as Chelsea clinched a championship and League Cup double.

Hazard is out of contract at Stamford Bridge in 2020 and has already declared his intention to move to Real Madrid, who signed his compatriot Thibaut Courtois from Chelsea in the summer. Chelsea host United in the Premier League today but Mourinho does not expect to reunite with Hazard at Old Trafford.

“I would love to have him in Manchester United but I don’t think Chelsea will sell him to Manchester United,” Mourinho said.

“So it’s a not a problem because Chelsea is led by intelligent and experienced people in football and they would never sell Eden to Manchester United, so it’s a non-point to comment.

“I think he [Hazard] is a nice kid. We had a good relation, we were champions together, he was for the first time the best player in the league with me, so I think the feelings are good.

“So when the feelings are good, you say nice things when feelings are not good you don’t say so much nice things.”

“The results speak by themselves,” Mourinho added of Chelsea’s start. “Obviously they are not playing Champions League. And that puts them just on the Premier League and in the Premier League the results speak for themselves. Very good results, top of the league and of course lots of good players.

“But history says that when Eden Hazard is the best player of the Premier League, Chelsea is the champion, it happened with me and Antonio, and this season, it is still the beginning of course, but if he is the best player of the Premier League until now, which I think he is until now, Chelsea is top of the league because he is the kind of player who can make a huge difference.”

At the weekend, Hazard said: “In 12 years I’ve only had one bad season, the last six months under Mourinho, and it was partly my own fault. After the title, we asked Mourinho for extra holidays. I came back totally out of shape.

“The last season under Mourinho was not enjoyable. We didn’t win, we got into a sort of routine, training without having fun, it was better for all parties that we parted ways.

“But if I’m asked now about one coach with whom I want to work again, I would say Mourinho.”

Hazard has scored five times against United, most recently the FA Cup final winner in May.