Picture: United defender spotted back in team training ahead of pivotal Villa clash, Carrick will be delighted – report

Manchester United suffered another injury scare in their defeat to Newcastle when Noussair Mazraoui had to be substituted late in the game. That change played a part in the loss as substitute Tyrell Malacia was beaten all ends up by William Osula during his jinking run that ended in the match-winning goal. After the match, the Moroccan fullback was spotted limping while leaving St. James’ Park, raising concerns that he might miss the all-important game against Aston Villa on Sunday. However, the club’s media team have now revealed that the former Bayern Munich man has rejoined team training on Wednesday. Noussair Mazraoui back in training following Newcastle scare The 28-year-old was spotted by in-house cameras taking part in drills with the main group, which suggests he is fit to play a part against Unai Emery’s side. “Noussair Mazraoui has trained with the Manchester United squad at Carrington on Wednesday. Nous has been spotted in training ahead of Sunday’s #PL clash at Old Trafford 💪 — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2026 “The Morocco international was forced to leave the field in the 85th minute in some discomfort, after appearing to be hurt in a challenge with Joe Willock, during the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United last time out. Tyrell Malacia took his place. “It sparked some fears about the defender’s fitness, ahead of Sunday’s Premier League outing against Aston Villa (14:00 GMT kick-off). Great news for Carrick ahead of blockbuster tie “However, the 28-year-old was part of the main group when our MUTV cameras were present for the latest session at our base, with build-up continuing to the weekend assignment at Old Trafford.” It has been a stop-start campaign for the ex-Ajax ace, with only seven Premier League starts coming his way, partly due to Luke Shaw‘s improved fitness, and his own involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations. He had to play as a left-back against Crystal Palace, while being deployed on his favoured right flank against the Magpies, which demonstrates his versatility. Michael Carrick will be delighted to see the Morocco international fit and firing ahead of a pivotal tie against fellow Champions League hopefuls, making it a virtual six-pointer. The caretaker head coach needs all the help he can get if he is to guide the 20-time English league champions back into the Champions League. Feature image Alex Pantling via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25