Rojo Feeling Better Than Expected

He suffered a similar injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the same match as the Swede in April, but while the striker’s return to fitness has been well documented, Marcos Rojo’s equally impressive comeback has gone somewhat under the radar.

The Argentinian has racked up three lots of 90 minutes in the last two weeks, including a brilliant performance in the superb 3-1 win at Arsenal last weekend as part of a back three.

MUTV sat down with Rojo, who was given a rest for the midweek match in the Champions League, ahead of the mouth-watering Manchester derby, and he reflected on his successful return to action, as well as looking forward to Sunday’s big clash.

“It was good to get the rest [after being omitted from the squad to face CSKA Moscow]. I’ve played three matches now and had 90 minutes in those games and I actually felt better than I thought I would do physically and I’m getting back into that rhythm now,” he told MUTV. “I think it was a good decision by the manager to leave me out [against CSKA] because I feel fresh.

“It’s great for me to be back on the pitch and feel the love of the fans and the love of the people again. My return has come from the hard work I put in over the summer in Portugal to try to get myself back to peak condition. There were difficult moments and it was tough but, during those times, I relied on my family to help me through and it’s great to be back.

“I’m really looking forward to Sunday," he added. "It seemed like it was a long way in the distance when I was injured, but now it’s here and I’m ready and fit and raring to go.”

The centre-back was asked about the factors that can end up deciding matches such as the derby and he admitted: “I think it comes down to focus and who wants to win the game the most. The two teams are equal and both in good form, so it’s going to come down to who wants it the most and that concentration throughout the game.”