Manchester United have included Zlatan Ibrahimovic in their 25-man squad for the Champions League group stages.
Jose Mourinho’s side re-signed Ibrahimovic at the end of the transfer window on a one-year deal and his inclusion in their European squad hints he could return ahead of schedule.
Ibrahimovic was initially released by United at the end of last season after suffering a serious knee injury in April that threatened to bring a cruel end to his glittering career.
However, the 35-year-old's miraculous recovery convinced Mourinho to re-sign the former Paris Saint-Germain striker, although he is not expected to regain full fitness until the end of the year at the very earliest.
Mourinho suggested last month that United would include Ibrahimovic in their Champions League squad if there was space to accommodate the No.10, which suggests he still may not be ready to feature until the knockout phase of the competition.
Of players that have made more than 10 appearances in the knockout stages of the last seven Champions League campaigns, only two players have missed clear-cut chances more frequently than Ibrahimovic (1 every 146.4 minutes of action).
