Zlatan Ibrahimovic was back at Carrington on Wednesday as he steps up his recovery from the knee injury that ended his Manchester United career.
The 35-year-old is now officially a free agent after Jose Mourinho decided against offering him an extension to his one-year contract last month.
The Swede finished as United’s top scorer with 28 goals last season, but was ruled out of the final 10 games of the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.
Although Ibrahimovic is not expected to play again this year, he has been making remarkable progress at the club’s training base in recent months.
United have promised the veteran access to their training facilities as he looks to put the first serious injury of his career firmly behind him.
And Ibrahimovic appeared in good spirits as he was chauffeur-driven out of Carrington in a black Range Rover on Wednesday.
It is understood that the striker has been in and out of the club’s training complex this week as he continues his recuperation.
It comes after Ibrahimovic used just six effective words in his farewell message to United supporters last week: “I came. I said. I conquered.”
Although he missed the business-end of the season, the Swede won three trophies in his first season at Old Trafford, including the Europa League in his home city of Stockholm.
And Mourinho, who previously worked with Ibrahimovic at Inter, believes the 35-year-old played a crucial role in United’s 2-0 win over Ajax – despite not playing.
“I think it’s so unfair what happened to him,” Mourinho said. “Sometimes football is unfair, sometimes life is unfair, I think it’s so unfair.
“This night would be an amazing night if he was on the pitch, in his hometown, in the stadium where his statue will be, his first club when he left Sweden, his actual club in Manchester United, a season where he made an amazing impact, I’m really, really, really sorry Zlatan has not played this final.
“But he played. He played outside with crutches with the other guys, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Eric Bailly, they were playing behind the bench shouting, they were doing everything.
“And on top of it, Zlatan in Swedish told the ball boys in the second half to take it easy, so even outside he was playing for us.
“So I am so pleased he finally gets a European trophy.”
Source:www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk