Marcos Rojo is back training with United, with ESPN reporting he has even been doing double training sessions to get fit.
Rojo may end up with one more chance at United, and that does not have to be bad news, if the club are not going to spend on a centre-back this summer anyway.
Fighting spirit
If Rojo is up for the fight and willing to battle to play for Manchester United, that can be a positive.
The defender has personality on and off the pitch, and despite some suspect tackling at times, has never been sent off for the club.
If United are in a scrap, Rojo is the type of player you want in the mix.
Dan James told Soccer AM when asked about United’s ‘hardest player’, “Got to be Marcos. He’s Argentinean and hard as. He doesn’t pull out of anything.
“In training, there has been a few times where you’re coming head to head and you end up jumping out the way. You don’t want to be in the way of him.”
Under contract
Rojo is under contract at United until 2022 and there are no current offers for him. His hefty wages make it unlikely that there will be.
So rather than simply loan him out, United may be better off keeping him and adding him to the mix, and getting some value out of the salary the club is paying him.
Versatility and cover
Chris Smalling is on the verge of leaving United for Roma, The Telegraph report, with negotiations ongoing.
Currently it appears no centre-back options are being brought in, so Rojo can add value as depth by staying.
Perhaps too much has been made of a need for a left-footed centre-back, but this is a criteria Rojo fills.
Rojo can also fill in at left-back as required, the role he previously played for United in two cup final wins, against Southampton in 2017 and Crystal Palace in 2016.
Having that extra option could be valuable, if United are paying for it anyway, and he wants to fight for his spot.
Rojo’s presence also puts Phil Jones one step further down the pecking order, which without being overly harsh, would be a good thing.
If United are able to get a decent fee for Rojo this summer the club should take it, but at present that does not look viable.
Keeping him is not necessarily bad news, especially with him reportedly returning with a very positive attitude. Rojo could still have plenty to contribute.
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