Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has explained why he decided to bring Bastian Schweinsteiger, back into first-team training.

The German midfielder made a shock return at Carrington, after Mourinho froze him out since he took over in the summer .

Schweinsteiger has been training alone ever since and is yet to make an appearance this season, as United’s difficult start to the new campaign continues.

“Schweinsteiger is back,” Mourinho said at his press conference on Wednesday.

“It was based on the fact we are in this time of the season where it is hard to train with all the players.

“So to do the tactical sessions I want to do you need a certain number of players, but the group shrinks when people are injured or recovering, many times we go to the Academy to bring young boys to have a group of the perfect numbers to train.

“Looking at Bastian and the way he was working professionally with the fitness coach, we think that it is a human and professional decision to bring him back to the team, and he will be much better prepared in case his future decision is to leave the club.

“If he stays with us he becomes one more option. In this moment we have no problems in midfield like we do in defence, but if we do he is one more option.”