Man Utd receive huge Ayden Heaven injury boost ahead of Europa League charge

Ayden Heaven was back at Manchester United’s training base at Carrington without wearing a protective boot with hope the defender can be available again soon after the international break.

Heaven, 18, has enjoyed an impressive run in the first-team in recent weeks, starting his first Premier League game against Leicester City on Sunday evening.

The former Arsenal youngster was perhaps United’s best player in the opening 45 minutes but was left in real discomfort as he was stretchered off the pitch in the second-half.

Broadcaster Sky Sports did not show any replays of the incident, sparking fears Heaven had suffered a major injury.

Heaven was later seen leaving the King Power Stadium wearing a protective boot but was able to walk without crutches.

United have been hardest hit by injuries at the back in recent weeks with Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro joining Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines, with the Argentina international ruled out for the rest of the season.

With Heaven swiftly proving his worth as a valuable option in Ruben Amorim’s back three system, any lengthy absence would serve as another blow to United’s hopes of salvaging something from the season.

But in a further boost, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell reports Heaven is already back at Carrington, no longer wearing the protective boot.

‘I don’t think it is as bad as feared,’ Whitwell told the Talk of the Devils podcast.

‘He was seen walking out without the protective boot on, no crutches.

‘I’ve been told he has been at Carrington without the protective boot so you surmise from that it is not going to be too long after the international break that he returns hopefully.

‘It was strange Sky didn’t show the replay. You don’t want to go gratuitously into someone’s despair but I feel like it did raise the suspicion that this was s serious leg break or something and obviously it is not that.

‘It was devastating for him, he’d come through with some promise then appeared so suffer a serious injury but hopefully it is not as bad as that.’

Heaven, who joined United for a modest fee of £1.5million in January from Arsenal, made a bright debut off the bench in the FA Cup defeat to Fulham.

He came off the bench in the second-half of the 1-1 draw against his former club, again impressing, before earning his full debut against Real Sociedad four days later.

United return to action away to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday 1 April before welcoming Manchester City to Old Trafford for the second derby of the season five days later.

Amorim’s side are still fighting in the Europa League, facing ties home and away to Lyon in the quarter-finals with a trip to Newcastle United in between.