Man United's Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic could return for Champions League

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 02 February 2018

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says that he hopes to see Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic make a return from injury before the European fixture with Sevilla.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has suggested that Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are not scheduled to return from injury before February 21.

Bailly's last outing for United came on November 5 with the defender having spent a period on the sidelines after ankle surgery, while Ibrahimovic has been working to fully overcome a knee injury.

Mourinho has claimed that neither player is close to making an appearance in his first-team squad, but is hopeful that the pair can feature when United travel to Sevilla in the Champions League towards the end of the month.

The 55-year-old told MUTV: "They are working on the pitch but not yet with us as a group so they are not very close to a return.

"I want to believe that by Champions League time, around the end of the month, they will be back."

United play Premier League fixtures with Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United and an FA Cup tie away at either Huddersfield or Birmingham City before the trip to Spain.