Bastian Schweinsteiger’s stock is on the up

Jose Mourinho has been impressed by the way Bastian Schweinsteiger has fought his way back from the precipice, with the self-proclaimed Special One calling his midfielder the “Powerful One” when it comes to his Manchester United future.

Wednesday’s comfortable EFL Cup win against West Ham saw the 32-year-old make his first United appearance in eight months, continuing a comeback few could have foreseen after being frozen out by the Portuguese.

Schweinsteiger’s stock plummeted so far that the club had to write him off as an asset in their accounts, so eyebrows were raised when the former Germany captain returned to first-team training at the end of October.