Man Utd training - Five things noticed including welcome boost ahead of Brighton clash

Manchester United 's stars were in good spirits in training on Monday as they looked to put the bitter taste of recent failures behind them.

The Red Devils were held to another 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Saturday as Southampton hit back to earn a point at Old Trafford.

The result followed a stalemate at Burnley via the same scoreline and a disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Middlesbrough.

Ralf Rangnick knows more dropped points could be hugely damaging for his side's chances of Champions League qualification given the competitive nature of this season's top-four race.

With that in mind, United players were out to convince the interim manager they deserve a spot in the starting XI for Tuesday night's must-win clash with Brighton, while there was also a welcome boost in the form of a returning midfielder.

Here are five things noticed in Monday's training session.

Fred is in contention to feature in the matchday squad against Brighton after missing the last two fixtures with coronavirus.

The midfielder was in a fine vein of form prior to testing positive, contributing two assists in his last three Premier League performances.

That being said, he was a divisive figure among the fanbase earlier in the season and has struggled to find the consistency expected of him, so he will need to improve in this department to re-establish himself in the first-choice midfield pairing for the run-in.

Fred's own struggles are symptomatic of Manchester United's broader midfield issues, with Rangnick yet to settle on a partnership in the centre of the park.

Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay have lined up for the last two fixtures to mixed effect, while Nemanja Matic remains sidelined with a shin injury.

McTominay has