Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire is making good progress in his recovery from an ankle ligament injury and will be given time to be ready for the Europa League final against Villarreal on May 26, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said.
England international Maguire, who had been ever-present in United’s defence, starting 34 of the second-placed team’s Premier League games this season, suffered the problem in last Sunday’s 3-1 victory at Aston Villa.
The 28-year-old, who was hurt when Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi landed on his ankle, missed United’s 2-1 defeat by his former club Leicester City and a 4-2 loss to Liverpool, leaving him in doubt for the Europa League showpiece.
“He’s making progress,” Solskjaer told the club’s website. “When I spoke to him this morning he was quite positive but, naturally, the day after it happened we were all down.
“We saw early on or we decided that we have to focus, have to be positive and think that you’re going to make it until you have to say ‘no’. I’ve always been an optimist, we’re positive.
“But we’ve consciously taken the route of not testing him out too early, too quickly, because we don’t want to aggravate something. He wants this so much, so he doesn’t want to take any risks, either.”
Solskjaer acknowledged Maguire’s importance as he chases his first silverware since being named United manager.
“… Hopefully he’ll speed up the recovery and be ready for the final… I’ll give him as long as he needs, until he says ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”
