What a recovery! Zlatan is ready for big comeback
ZLATAN Ibrahimovic has trained with Manchester United for the last three days and could make his return to the squad against Newcastle at Old Trafford tomorrow.
The Swedish superstar has not played for seven months since rupturing the cruciate ligament in his right knee in a Europa League tie against Anderlecht in April.
Ibrahimovic was initially ruled out for the rest of the year and, at 36, there were concerns he would never play for United again.
However, the veteran striker has made remarkable progress since signing a new one-year deal in August and is believed to have an outside chance of being on the bench against Newcastle after returning to training on Tuesday.
In what would be a huge boost f or Jose Mourinho, United’s record £89million signing Paul Pogba is also close to a return after missing the last 12 games with a hamstring i njury. The United boss will make a decision on the pair after training today.
Throwing a player of Ibrahimovic’s age straight back into Premier League action, albeit off the bench, would be a big risk. But the man who likes to refer to himself as ‘a lion’ has confounded medical staff.
Ibrahimovic insisted yesterday he never doubted his chances of making a comeback.
‘I’m determined to return better and stronger than before,’ he said in an interview with Volvo.
‘That is my goal and it will happen. There are no other options. When I’ve decided to do something, nothing is going to change my mind.
‘I said I’d take over Sweden. At breakfast, I had already taken over Sweden. At lunch, I took over Europe. At dinner, I took over the world. That was my plan. And that’s what happened.’
Renowned knee surgeon Freddie Fu Ho-keung carried out the surgery in Pittsburgh in May and the player admitted he endured some dark times when he felt ‘paralysed’ in bed, the Swede revealing: ‘ Thoughts started spinning in my head: “What’s happening? I am 35, what can I do? What does the future hold?”.
‘The first thing I said to myself was: “Giving up i s not an alternative”. I’ve come this far and will finish on my terms, not anyone else’s.
‘I have new scars that could be called tattoos. I’ll remember what happened, what I’ve gone through and what I’ve been fighting for.
‘I remember being on crutches and lying in bed for 12 hours a day, feeling paralysed when you are used to playing every day.
‘I am the kind of person who is always training a lot. Hard work gives you something in return, that is my philosophy.’
When Ibrahimovic returns to action, he will play in the No 10 shirt rather than his old No 9, now worn by Romelu Lukaku.
Ibrahimovic insists he always wanted No 10 but it was taken by Wayne Rooney when he first joined United as a free agent last year.
‘When I came, it should be in the contract I will have No 10,’ he said. ‘When I join a new team, I get No 10 because I feel like a No 10.
‘In United it was Rooney, he’s a legend and someone I respect. But now he has changed clubs.
‘Lukaku called and asked: “Can I get No 9?” and I said: “No problem” because I already had No 10. That’s the way it happened.’
Mourinho did not say if Ibrahimovic had a chance of being in the squad to face Newcastle yesterday, confirming only he would return ahead of schedule some time in 2017.
‘He is a lion, a fighter,’ said the United boss. ‘He has the anger all the time and that’s the reason why he’s almost coming back.
‘He’s reduced the timing of his recovering and he will be back in 2017, which is a magnificent recovery.’