'Exciting!' - Manchester United fans make Erik ten Hag demand after Casemiro return

Manchester United welcomed Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro back into first-team training at Carrington on Wednesday, giving Erik ten Hag two massive boosts ahead of the upcoming schedule.

Martinez has been sidelined since September after undergoing a second operation on a recurring metatarsal issue that was first sustained in April last year. Casemiro has been out since the start of November with a hamstring injury.

The duo, who joined United in the 2022 summer transfer window, have both been sorely missed, with Ten Hag's troops struggling for results and consistency without them. Ten Hag predicted in early-November that he did not expect them to play again until after Christmas.

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Having returned to first-team training, the United boss will now be hoping he can unleash them before long. Following a hectic December schedule, United play just twice this month, facing Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup third round on Monday and then Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday week.

Both players were filmed by the club's in-house media department being put through their paces at Carrington, with Casemiro's every move being followed by captain and fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Along with Christian Eriksen, the duo enjoyed plenty of success in United's engine room last season.

In the video footage shared by the club, Fernandes was by Casemiro's side at all times, with the players participating in running drills and conducting general fitness work. At one juncture, as the players slowed down for a moment, Fernandes and Casemiro were spotted putting their arms around each other