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EPL club Manchester United have amped up their training sessions ahead of the league restart. The Red Devils are set to play away to José Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth fixture of the campaign upon the restart.
Several players expressed their delight as they returned to United's Carrington base in Manchester. One of them was the EPL club's new Portuguese sensation, Bruno Fernandes. The former Sporting captain has had a rapid start to life at Old Trafford and the EPL with his tireless running and creative flair.
EPL sensation Bruno eager to play football
Speaking to Manchester United's official website, Bruno began;
"We are really happy (to return). Training sessions have been really intense, really good. We wait for this moment because we like to play football and we are really enjoying this time."
EPL clubs were only permitted to train under strict safety protocols laid down by health authorities. Despite the players resuming contact training, there are several other safety regulations that are expected to be followed. This includes regular temperature checks, social distancing wherever possible, and other measures.
Bruno, however, commented saying despite things being different, the most important thing is being able to train as a group after an absence of over two months. He continued;
"The difference (in training procedures) is arriving at different hours, not doing the same as we did in the past. The most important thing is that we can train now, be together at the training ground."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were on a superb run of results prior to the suspension of the EPL and European competition. The Norwegian's men were unbeaten in 11 competitive fixtures across all competitions as they looked to build momentum heading into the business end of the campaign. This rich vein of form coincided with the Portuguese's arrival in the EPL.
Speaking on what he expects for the rest of the campaign, United's explosive midfielder expressed;
"I'm looking to start in the way that we ended the season, maybe do even better than that. I think the first game will give us an opportunity to win so we're looking forward to finishing the season well."
The players spent over two months of the lockdown at their respective homes while adhering to the safety guidelines they have been given. Upon being asked what the most positive aspect of the lockdown has been so far, Bruno said that it was being able to spend time with his family. The 25-year-old is relatively new to England given his move to the EPL materialised in January 2020. He responded,
"Spending time with my daughter and the rest of my family. It was the most important thing to be at home but now it is time to start playing football again."
United sit just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea on the EPL table. It is incredibly vital for the Red Devils to finish in a UEFA Champions League spot as they look to bolster their squad in the upcoming transfer window. However, Frank Lampard's Blues looked primed to beat them to fourth place before the stoppage of play.
Solskjaer will be hopeful of guiding his side into Europe's elite tournament in the 2020/21 campaign.
