United could have a full squad in Tuesday's Champions League knockout match against Atletico Madrid as Bruno Fernandez, Luke Shaw and McTomine all attended normal training on Monday.
Portuguese midfielder Fernandez missed Saturday's match against Tottenham hotters due to a positive COVID-19 test, but he drove back to Carrington on Monday wearing sunglasses to resume training and is expected to make a comeback against Atletico. Luke Shaw also returned to the team on Monday morning and passed the test.
Defender Scott McTomine did not play for Tottenham due to a calf injury, but he also trained with Fernandez, Shaw and other players. Manchester United interim manager Ronnick said that there are still small question marks in whether Luke Shaw can play, and at the pre-match press conference, Telles is present with him, which usually means that the Brazilian international will start.
"Now all of our players can play tomorrow, but Luke Shaw has a small question mark. He went into training yesterday and today, but we had to wait and see if he was perfectly suited to compete. All the other players have resumed training and can play tomorrow. Fernandez? He was tested yesterday and it turned negative, which is why he was able to train today."
However, Fernandez's comeback may have created a dilemma for Ronnick, whose tactics failed in the first round away to Atletico and the Portuguese played poorly. Lonnick hinted that the starting line-up wouldn't have changed much compared to the win over Tottenham. 'I have to make a decision by tomorrow, we have the possibility of adding some new players to the starting 11.' Lonnick added, "But there's no reason to change too many positions, it's good that everyone can play, it's better than losing five or six players."
The Champions League match against Manchester United vs Tottenham hotspur is only a three-day interval, but Lonnick believes the 37-year-old Ronaldo does not have physical problems and can motivate the Red Devils to reach the top 8. United have only reached the Champions League quarter-finals twice in the past 10 years, but Cristiano Ronaldo is An atletico nemesis who has scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid and Juventus against the Sheets.
Lonnick said: "I'm not worried that he won't be able to recover, he's always been a player who takes good care of himself and his body and knows what to do, so I'm not worried. Whether he can score another three goals, we will wait and see. It's not easy for Atletico to score three goals at all, but his overall performance is good, very good and that's obviously the performance we hope to get from him again tomorrow night."
Atletico madrid have had a number of players injured in this game, and Lonnick hopes that United will not only hope for Cristiano Ronaldo. "This game is not just about Cristiano, it's all about the whole team." Lonnick said, "When we visited Madrid, we didn't do well in the first half and we shouldn't have played like that. We've talked about tomorrow's game, we know what's needed, and the rest depends on physical fitness. This is very important, especially against teams like Atletico, who don't mind the possession of the ball, which has been below 50% in the last 5 games. So we have to be aware of that, make sure we don't concede the ball, and the first goal is key."
Asked if winning this season's Champions League is more realistic than winning the top four in the Premier League, Lonnick replied: "It doesn't matter how we qualify for next season's Champions League, it's a more realistic thing. We want to do what we can and hope to be in the top 8. But even if we qualify, there are other good teams in the Champions League. Over the next two weeks, we will face Leicester City at home. In the Premier League, we shouldn't lose any more points. Arsenal are in good form, they beat Leicester City yesterday and we have to take care of ourselves. But tomorrow is the Champions League first and everyone in the squad is very positive and can't wait to kick off."
Lonnick also called on United fans to work hard to cheer and inspire the team to win. "Like the game against Tottenham, we need the players and the fans to be at their best. Conte said the atmosphere was bad for them, and that the coach said it after the game, which was the biggest compliment the fans could get. The audience at Old Trafford plays a vital role, there is always a very special atmosphere there, especially in European battles. Eventually, the fans will be our 12th and 13th players on the pitch, making the game different and it's a very special experience for everyone. But in the end it's up to the players, we have to create the decisive moments and the rest will come from our fantastic fans."