Jose Mourinho offers hopeful timeframe for Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s return from injury

This was a tough break for Henrik Mkhitaryan, but it could have been a lot worse.

After finding himself on the fringes of Manchester United's first-team squad, it looked as though his luck had finally begun to turn. The Aremenian forward scored his first goal for the club against Zorya in the Europa League last Thursday, finishing coolly after going on an impressive solo run from midfield. Following the game, Mkhitaryan said he couldn't wait to score his first goal at Old Trafford, and he didn't have to wait long - just three days in fact. The former Borussia Dortmund star scored the only goal of the game on Sunday afternoon against Tottenham Hotspur, hitting the back of the net with a powerful strike past Hugo Lloris. Mkhitaryan deservedly won the man of the match award for his display, the club's first win at home in the league since beating Leicester City 4-1 in September, but his afternoon was sadly cut-short. The 27-year-old was stretchered-off after appearing to hurt his ankle attempting to dodge a tackle from Spurs full-back Danny Rose. https://twitter.com/SquawkaNews/status/807979440823271424 To get injured just as he's beginning to get a run in the team, and showcase his obvious talented, represents a terrible bit of luck for Mkhitaryan. However, it could have been a lot worse. Following the 1-0, Jose Mourinho said the player should, they hope, be back for the game at Old Trafford against Sunderland on December 26. "It looks like the next match is a 'no', but it looks like it is nothing that is really dangerous or that needs surgery," the United manager told the club's website.

"So, hopefully, we will probably have Micki on Boxing Day."

United's next match is away to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, before they play West Brom at the Hawthorns next Saturday. https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/807988327315972100 Catch up with this week's episode of Football Friday Live: