Axel Tuanzebe pictured training at Carrington for first time since July

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Axel Tuanzebe has been pictured training at Carrington for the first time since July.

Tuanzebe spent the first part of pre-season training with new manager Erik ten Hag and the first team squad, and even flew out on the first part of the club’s pre-season tour to Thailand.

The defender left the tour early without playing a game, and he has been out of action with injury ever since.

Tuanzebe is stepping up his recovery, pictured training doing individual drills at Carrington on Thursday.

Tuanzebe pictured training

Tuanzebe missed United’s training camp in Spain last week because he stayed back in Manchester to concentrate on his rehabilitation, in co-ordination with the club’s medical staff.

Now he has taken the next step forward, getting out on the grass at Carrington to ramp up his return to fitness.

The club website reported last week that Tuanzebe was ‘on the road to recovery’, picturing him in the gym as he worked on a personalised training programme.

The centre-back is targeting being back for ‘the second half of the campaign’ with no specific date set for a comeback, just yet.

Tuanzebe turned 25 last month and needs to play, to ensure this season is not a write-off. The problem for him is that he is fifth choice at Manchester United, at best, behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

Last season he went out on loan to Aston Villa, and then Napoli, but his spell in Serie A was ruined by injury.

A loan move will be in Tuanzebe’s interests, but there could be a small window for him to step into the first team, with Varane and Martinez away at the World Cup and set to return late, however, Tuanzebe will have to race against time to get fully fit, before they return.