Manchester United winger Amad Diallo has hinted he could return from injury sooner than expected with a cryptic post on social media.
Amad was initially ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury sustained at the start of February, which has subsequently kept him out of their previous eight matches.
Manager Ruben Amorim sounded confident that the Ivorian would return to first-team action before the end of the season, though, with the player making positive progress in recovery from the setback.
It now appears that Amad has confirmed this himself, with a post he uploaded to Snapchat late on Monday night.
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What has Amad posted about his recovery?
Using a picture of him in action for the Red Devils, Amad posted it alongside a caption including hourglass and smiling face emojis, suggesting that his recovery is going well.
The inclusion of the hourglass would also seem to indicate that it will not be long before he is back in action, with two months of the season still to play.
Amad was one of eight first-team players out injured for the win over Leicester City before the international break, and arguably none of them have had a greater influence on the side this season than him.
The 22-year-old had come of age in the side this season, after showing promising signs last season, including scoring the winner in the FA Cup quarter-final versus Liverpool.
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What impact could Amad have in the final stages of the season?
A return before the end of the season could bolster Man United's chances of salvaging something from a nightmare campaign so far.
Any success in the Premier League is now beyond them, because Amorim's side will finish outside of the European places, and possibly even in the bottom half.
United were also knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by Fulham earlier this month, so their only remaining hope lies on the continent in the Europa League, where they will face Lyon over two legs in the quarter-finals next month.
Two of Amad's nine goals this season had come in Europe, but he was often used more prominently in the Premier League before his injury.
The Ivorian has already enjoyed many notable moments this season, such as the hat trick versus Southampton, the winner away to Manchester City in the derby, and the equaliser against Liverpool at Anfield, and instances of brilliance like that could be what swings a cup competition in your favour.
It is unlikely Amad will return soon enough to feature in either leg against Lyon, though, so he will have to hope his team mates can get them over the line before his return later in the campaign.
Andrew Delaney
