The midfielder is battling to regain match fitness after he sustained ankle ligament damage over the summer

that Michael Carrick will play against West Ham in a


Angel di Maria is fit for Manchester United's crunch match against Chelsea on Sunday.

The £60million signing was struggling with a thigh injury picked up in their 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Monday and it was feared that he would miss their biggest game of the season so far.

He had an ice-pack on the injury after being substituted in the 76th minute, but was able to train for the past two days and is ready for Chelsea.

Angel di Maria, shadowed by Chris Smalling, has been declared fit to face Premier League leaders Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday

The £60million signing was pictured sporting an ice pack on a thigh injury picked up in the score draw at The Hawthorns

Louis van Gaal, Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher and Robin van Persie are pictured in good spirits at Manchester United's training HQ

SUPER CUP FINAL 2012 Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole (Bertrand 89), Mikel, Lampard, Ramires (Oscar 46), Hazard, Mata (Sturridge 81), Torres. Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Romeu, Moses, Meireles. Booked: Ivanovic. Goals: Cahill 74. Atletico Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis, Mario Suarez, Gabi, Adrian (Rodriguez 56), Koke (Raul Garcia 81), Turan, Falcao (Emre 87). Subs Not Used: Sergio Asenjo, Silvio, Cata Diaz, Diego Costa. Goals: Falcao 6,19,45,Miranda 60. Att: 14,312 Ref: Damir Skomina (Slovenia). Advertisement

Manager Louis van Gaal said: 'It was not so heavy, he has trained. Only the first day [Tuesday] he doesn't train.'

Van Gaal also revealed that Michael Carrick will play in a development game against West Ham in London on Friday night in a bid to regain match fitness.

The midfielder was a surprise inclusion on United's bench against West Brom on Monday night, but did not make it on the field.

Van Gaal added: 'I even let Michael Carrick this evening play in London against West Ham in the reserve team.

'I believe he needs that, he needs to play matches especially when you are five months injured. He said that it was his first experience in the second team.'

The United boss will be without the suspended Wayne Rooney but Radamel Falcao, who scored a hat-trick the last time he faced Chelsea in Atletico Madrid's Super Cup triumph last year, is available.

Chelsea's star striker Diego Costa has a 'chance' of playing at Old Trafford on Sunday, according to Jose Mourinho, despite the Spain striker missing the last two matches with a hamstring problem and being admitted to hospital this week with a virus.

Mourinho said: 'There is a chance, he has a little chance. Diego has a little chance, the same as Ramires and (John Obi) Mikel.

'Everything happened (to Costa). He was obviously injured - that was hamstring. He had to go to hospital with a viral situation that we didn't manage to resolve without being in hospital over one night - that was before Maribor.

'Against Maribor he wouldn't have been ready from the injury, no chance. But being ill didn't help the recovery process because we didn't have him at Cobham (training ground). Medical staff had to go to his house because we didn't want to bring him here with a viral situation.

'He trained individually, not yet with us.'

Falcao could also line up against Premier League leaders Chelsea - he scored a hat-trick the last time he faced the Stamford Bridge side

Falcao scored a hat-trick in Atleico Madrid's 4-1 victory over Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Super Cup final

The Colombian, seen here celebrating against Chelsea, is working his way back to full fitness after sustaining a serious knee injury

Rooney leads Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia at Carrington as United are put through their paces on Friday

Luke Shaw and Robin van Persie are pictured in training on Friday ahead of Chelsea's visit to Old Trafford