Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have all been included in the provisional squad for Manchester United's Premier League game against Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, with Luke Shaw and Nemanja Matic also returning to contention.

The quintet all pulled out from international duty with their respective nations over the last ten days with just six first-team squad members of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad turning out for their countries over the international break.

David de Gea, Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba were the sole first-teamers who appeared for their senior national sides, while Diogo Dalot turned out for Portugal Under-20s.

Sources close to Lukaku told the MEN in midweek the Belgian needed time to recover from a foot injury that ruled him out of United's FA Cup defeat to Wolves two weeks ago, as well as Belgium's European Championship qualifiers against Russia and Cyprus. Lukaku's camp were reluctant to earmark the round-of-16 Champions League first leg with Barcelona on April 10 as a possible comeback fixture, since United travel to Wolves before then on Tuesday.

Lukaku only returned to United's Carrington training complex on Friday, having undergone treatment in Belgium, but still checked in with the rest of his teammates at The Lowry Hotel on Friday night. Martial (knee), Shaw, Matic and Rashford (ankle) were also present. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested certain players would have late fitness tests.

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United have suffered a spate of injuries in recent weeks and there were five enforced first-half withdrawals in the home draw with Liverpool and defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last month. England coach Gareth Southgate spoke to Jesse Lingard three days before the Wolves game and did not expect him to appear at Molineux.

"I was surprised that he started the game," Southgate said. "But only because he hadn't trained before the Wednesday, so I guess you would have to talk to United as to why they took that decision. I am imagining partly because they were missing so many players as well.

"But, as I say, he wasn’t comfortable with it in the game and that was the conversation I had with him."

Southgate corroborated the MEN's report Lingard's recall was a 'massive risk' by adding the United forward 'was very conscious of [his groin injury] and at risk during the game' at Wolves. Lingard and Martial made their first starts in over a month in the 2-1 reverse and Ander Herrera lined up for the first time in nearly three weeks.

Eric Bailly suffered a head injury in the Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Rwanda and was not with the United squad on Friday night. MEN photographers did not spot Victor Lindelof either, though the Swede's wife recently gave birth to their first child so it is possible he could meet up separately. Matteo Darmian, Antonio Valencia and Alexis Sanchez are all out.

"We’ve had a very good training week,” Solskjaer said. "Some have been away and have come back okay. Alexis has just come back and there is only him who is out, along with Matteo and Antonio. Those three are out. We’ll have to check on one or two of the others."

Valencia and Darmian have not played since January and Sanchez has only completed 90 minutes once for United in a fitful season. All three could leave the club in the summer, with Valencia due to be released at the end of his contract's expiry date on June 30.

The Watford encounter will be Solskjaer's first as full-time manager as United begin a crucial six-week run-in at home and abroad. United are fifth in the Premier League and two points adrift of Arsenal in fourth, and three off third-placed Tottenham. Solskjaer admitted the 'lure' of Champions League football next season could be crucial to entice players to United in the summer transfer window.

"The lure of Champions League is important for us," Solskjaer said. "For some players it might be but to play for Man United, you know if you sign a contract for four years or five years you know you're gonna be playing Champions League. We are now in a great position to get in the Champions League but that's not decided until 12 May, probably.

"We need to get going before then with talks about players, with players, who's gonna stay here."

In the opening statement at his press conference parading, Solskjaer stated: "When people get a new job and say 'it's a dream job' they've had and have always dreamt about, playing for this club or managing this club, that's more true to me than anyone.

Manchester United squad vs Watford:

Manchester United squad vs Watford View gallery

"This has been my ultimate dream all the time, maybe a naive dream but I've always had that dream in my mind to have this responsibility for this this huge, fantastic, family of a football club, and I'm so honoured and privileged to be given this fantastic responsibility to lead us forward,

"I don't think proud is right word, I'm happy, honoured, because it's a fresh start, the start of something new again and now the hard work starts, the enjoyable work, so it isn't a moment to be proud in that respect."

Confirmed United squad members

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David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Lee Grant, Diogo Dalot, Ashley Young, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Andreas Pereira, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Fred, Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford.