According to reports from Manchester Evening News, Bastian Schweinsteiger is no longer in exile at Manchester United.The German World Cup winner was unexpectedly banished from first-team training at the start of the season, spending his time since with the U-23 squad or training alone.He was also left out of United's official team photo, which was published last week.
But he was snapped training with Wayne Rooney and company by the Red Devils' social media team earlier today and understandably, there's quite a buzz surrounding the midfielder's re-emergence on Twitter.
It's still unknown whether Mourinho is ready to grant Schweinsteiger a first-team role, U-turning on his previous decision to exile the former Bayern Munich man, but we at FootballFanCast think he'd be wise to do so.
In fact, with a scoreless draw against Burnley on Saturday pushing United down to a lowly eighth in the Premier League table, we reckon Schweinsteiger's the man to turn their underwhelming start to the season around. Here's why.
Engine room still a problem area
Manchester United's engine room has been lagging behind those of their divisional rivals for years and despite the £89million outlay, Paul Pogba just hasn't brought the improvements expected.
There's no doubt the France international is a fantastic talent but Jose Mourinho can't seem to get the formula right in terms personnel, with Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick yet to unearth a solid partnership with the Red Devils' record signing.
Admittedly, evidence to suggest Schweinsteiger is the perfect accomplice to Pogba is speculative at best - although he would provide an incredibly solid basis behind the Frenchman. But with the aforementioned trio yet to step up to the plate, Schweinsteiger surely deserves a chance alongside the 23-year-old.
Leadership
If there's one thing ageing legs can't take away from Bastian Schweinsteiger, it's his ability to lead a team.
The powerful midfielder's aggressive playing style lends itself to such a role but he's always been seen as a natural leader and now has the undoubted experience to match, winning a succession of trophies with Bayern Munich before becoming the captain of the German national team in 2014.
United's squad boasts plenty of senior figures, most notably Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Michael Carrick, but they've not had the desired effect so far this term and adding another authoritative voice to the dressing room could really change the squad dynamic for the better.
Fixtures coming thick and fast
Schweinsteiger's re-introduction has come at just the right time for United. Mourinho has never been one for rotation but the Red Devils' hectic fixture schedule will force him to over the course of November, with two games before next Monday and four in the space of ten days after the international break.
The Europa League is clearly having an effect on the Red Devils' domestic form but bringing Schweinsteiger back into the mix should diminish the physical burden somewhat, especially for Paul Pogba and United's other central midfielders.
That should keep them fresh for United's more important games, whilst the wider spread of personnel will improve healthy competition for places within the squad.