Pogba fit after knee injury, Lukaku on the bench again

Paul Pogba is fit to return to the Manchester United starting XI to face Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday after a knee injury, while Romelu Lukaku must once again be content with a place on the bench.

France international Pogba, who has been exceptional since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho and became caretaker manager, sustained a knee injury in United’s last Premier League outing at Newcastle United on January 2 after a nasty challenge by Jonjo Shelvey.

He missed United’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Reading as a result, and was also forced to join up late with the rest of the squad on their training camp in Dubai.

But, following almost a full week of training, Pogba is fit to return and lines up in a United side which has few surprises, with Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial chosen in attack.

The only changes from that win over Newcastle see Juan Mata and Antonio Valencia drop out – Lingard and Ashley Young coming in for them – with Solskjaer set to face his biggest test since taking the United job on an interim basis.

Alexis Sanchez is not in the squad after coming off in the game against Reading, though the Chile forward could be fit to feature against Brighton and Hove Albion next Saturday.

“He is not ready yet. Hopefully, or I think so, he will be training when we get back,” Solskjaer told MUTV.

“Maybe on Wednesday he will be in full training. It is just one of those blows. He is just having a hard time of getting rid of it. Maybe next week he could be involved.”

Tottenham can move back above second-placed Manchester City with a victory over United, and Mauricio Pochettino has named an expected XI.

Following the EFL Cup semi-final first-leg win over Chelsea in midweek, Hugo Lloris, Jan Vertonghen and Ben Davies come in for Paulo Gazzaniga, Davinson Sanchez and Danny Rose.

#THFC: Lloris (C), Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Davies, Winks, Sissoko, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane. @WilliamHill odds (18+) – https://t.co/Qs1etZf2ui #COYS pic.twitter.com/kZnCMbwkOe

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 13, 2019