Manchester United will welcome the winter break simply because it will allow some of their injured stars extra time to recover fitness ahead of some crucial fixtures next month.

Axel Tuanzebe will probably be the first to return to full training. The 22-year-old has not been seen since the 3-0 win over Colchester United in the Carabao Cup back in November, but he is expected to be fit ahead of United’s next league game against Chelsea on February 17th.

Paul Pogba could also make the match at Stamford Bridge. The Frenchman is now out of his cast after his ankle operation but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been hesitant to put a timeframe on his comeback.

Scott McTominay can probably be ruled out for the Blues clash. When the 23-year-old injured his knee against Newcastle in late December, it was estimated he would be out for a few months, indicating the league game versus Everton on March 1st is more likely.

Marcus Rashford is unlikely to return from his back injury until March, at the earliest. The estimate was a six-week recovery but he will then need to regain his fitness on the training pitch, so you would expect him to be sidelined for two months minimum. A return after the next international break would probably be more realistic.