NEW ROOKIE: Man Utd stars beam when welcoming Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez back to training for Wigan clash

Midfield enforcer Casemiro has been sidelined for Man United since the start of November because of a hamstring injury.

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has set his sights on getting his season back on track after returning to first-team training.

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Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro have returned to full training with Manchester United after prolonged periods out through injury.

Martinez has been sidelined with a recurrence of a foot injury suffered last season, having not played since United’s 4-3 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in September.

Casemiro, meanwhile, has not featured since limping off during United’s Carabao Cup fourth round defeat to Newcastle United in November.

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Having returned to full training the 31-year-old is hungry to get back in the thick of the action. Following a relentless December United currently have just two scheduled matches this month, starting against Wigan Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup on Monday.

It is not yet clear if the trip to the DW Stadium will come too soon for the midfield enforcer, he is, judging by his social media activity, itching to get back to business. Posting a short message on his Instagram story, featuring a picture of himself during the aforementioned training session, Casemiro said: “Back to the pitch.”

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Casemiro shared a message on social media

The Brazilian, who joined United from Spanish outfit Real Madrid in August 2022, was filmed participating in a first-team training session at Carrington on Wednesday. He has been sidelined since the start of November because of hamstring injury.

On November 1, during the 3-0 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup fourth round, he was substituted off the field at halftime. The manager, Erik ten Hag, stated in an update the following week that he did not anticipate his returning until after Christmas.

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Even if his play has declined from the previous season before his injury, he still brings to United a variety of skills that no other player on the team has. He’s become one of the world’s top defensive midfielders in the last ten years thanks to his ability to disrupt play and shield the back four.

Monday’s FA Cup trip to Wigan Athletic could come too soon for Casemiro and Martinez to make their returns to the starting XI, but a run out from the bench could be ideal preparation for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur six days later.

Mason Mount, Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia should also be back sooner rather than later.

Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Diogo Dalot walk out for training at Carrington.