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Henrikh Mkhitaryan could make his return to the Manchester United team against City in the EFL Cup tonight.

Mkhitaryan was among the United squad members who arrived at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester city centre on Wednesday morning, as Jose Mourinho ramped up preparations for his second Manchester derby.

Eric Bailly, Wayne Rooney and Phil Jones all remain sidelined through injury. Chris Smalling, who had a nightmare in the drubbing at Chelsea on Sunday, was not seen by photographers but Marouane Fellaini, seen hobbling after the defeat, was spotted with teammates. There was also no sign of Timothy Fosu-Mensah or Anthony Martial.

Armenia international Mkhitaryan has not played for United since he was substituted in the derby defeat on September 10 but he returned to training four weeks ago.

M.E.N. Sport reported the 27-year-old fully fit and training intensively in an attempt to return to the first-team and has no intention of leaving in the January transfer window.

It is also understood claims Mkhitaryan could be sold in the new year are 'completely false' and the Armenia international is focused on his Old Trafford career.

(Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

Mourinho said last week living at The Lowry was a 'disaster', since he is away from his family in London. Mourinho's daughter goes to university in the capital and his son is a youth team goalkeeper at Fulham.

"Buy a house? I do not know, I do not know," he said.

"But the reality is that my daughter will be 20 next week, my son will be 17 in a couple of months. They are very stable. University in London. Football in London. Friends.

(Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

"So they are in an age where they can’t chase me like they did before. So for the first time the family lives in a different way. We try to feel it, we try to see the evolution of our feelings and see how we cope with the situation.

"But maybe if I can get a good apartment, not these giant houses that the press says I’m going to buy! I will never buy that! But if I find a nice apartment with a good connection from the garage to the apartment, maybe I do it, but I can’t cook!

"You know the history of the paparazzi, for the hotel and the brand that sponsors me, the clothes brand, is amazing because they are there every day," he added.

(Image: Eamonn and James Clarke)

"Everybody knows the name of the hotel! Everybody knows the last arrivals of that brand! So for them, it is amazing.

"For me it’s a bit of a disaster because I want sometimes to walk a little bit and I can’t. I just want to cross the bridge and go for a restaurant! I can’t, so it is really bad!

"But I have my apps and I can ask for food to also be delivered, which I do sometimes!"

Confirmed United squad members

De Gea

Romero

Johnstone

Valencia

Darmian

Blind

Rojo

Shaw

Pogba

Carrick

Herrera

Schneiderlin

Fellaini

Mata

Young

Lingard

Memphis

Mkhitaryan

Ibrahimovic

Rashford