Ella Toone is targeting a return from injury for Manchester United after the next international break, head coach Marc Skinner says.
A hip injury has sidelined the England international since the turn of the year. It had previously been hoped the 26-year-old would return in time for the Manchester derby on March 28, but Skinner said on Friday Toone was looking at a return “around the back end of this window.”
“Tooney has been back on the field training,” Skinner said. “We still don’t have a definitive timeline, but we are looking around the back end of this window, the space we’re in, and then potentially a little hangover, because it’s an international window then (from April 7-18).
“Hopefully Tooney can be back before the Tottenham Hotspur game (on April 26), but it could be earlier than that. It’s just dependent on how she goes.”
United will welcome back forward Fridolina Rolfo and full-back Jayde Riviere for Sunday’s league cup final against Chelsea, after the two missed United’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup in the last game before the March international break.
Full-back Anna Sandberg, who picked up a knee injury in mid-February, is also “more likely” to return to face Tottenham after the April international break.
Skinner’s side are currently without midfielder Hinata Miyazawa, who is competing with Japan at the Asian Cup in Australia. Miyazawa has started every Women’s Super League and Champions League game this season, but could be at the tournament until the final on March 21.
Skinner confirmed the club are looking at possible ways Miyazawa could be involved again as soon as the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on March 25.
“You’d predict her trying to go as far in the tournament as possible. We are looking at contingencies,” Skinner said. “We’ve spoken to Hinata, looking at flights, looking at risk safety for the player.
“But I’ve already noticed, even looking at her minutes, she’s done a little bit less, of course, because they’re able to get through the groups and stuff, and Japan have been doing excellently.
“From our perspective, the aim will be trying to get her back into those Bayern games and the City games.
“But it will be safely, and then what we’ll look at afterwards is a space where Hini can then basically have some rest and recovery. But it all depends on a continuous conversation with her, how she feels, how she’s presenting medically, we’ll do all the screening.
“If she’s available and wants to play, then obviously we’ll look to bring her back again.”