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What's the story?
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was thought to be ruled out until 2018 after suffering a serious ACL injury in a Europa League game back in April, but United boss Jose Mourinho has set a more optimistic — and very welcome return date- 2nd December- for the big Swede, according to Daily Star.
The Swedish veteran is also feeling optimistic:
I feel good. I have trained every day since I had my knee operated on, there is no vacation
It’s a new challenge but I am strong mentally and when I focus on an objective nothing can stop me.
Ibrahimovic also said:
I will go through everything, it doesn’t matter what’s in my way, I will break everything to reach my goal.
I am not coming back because I am the one I am, I am coming back to be a better version of the old one… imagine how that will be.
The world-class striker brushed off the injury as a mere inconvenience:
If we talk specifically about the injury then I have never felt any pain, the only thing I have felt is a strange feeling in my movement that obviously showed something was wrong in the knee.
In case you didn't know...
Mourinho, who has overseen fantastic efforts from United so far this season which see them unbeaten and only second to Manchester City on goal difference in the Premier League, believes that Ibrahimovic could be ready to play as soon as early December.
The heart of the matter
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's return could turn out to be a big boost for Manchester United as they hope to mount a challenge on all fronts this season. The Red Devils don't have a replacement in case Lukaku picks up an injury as Marcus Rashford is now being deployed down the left flank where he has been effective.
Ibrahimovic scored 28 goals in 48 games for United before sustaining his horrible anterior cruciate ligament injury, which is such a severe one that many footballers never full recovery from.
Author's take
Ibrahimovic would clearly add more strength to Manchester United's squad, so a quicker return would be ideal for Jose Mourinho.
His reintroduction to action would provide a huge boost for United, as it would mean Mourinho having a target man at his disposal for when in-form Romelu Lukaku needs a rest.
