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Has the time arrived to reunite and unleash United’s three-pronged strike force?

Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao have only been in match action together for 156 minutes and haven’t been on the pitch for the complete duration at all since the Colombian was signed up on loan.

Circumstances have combined to keep one of the most potentially fearsome attacks apart.

Three Premier League games had already been ticked off before Falcao arrived. The 28-year-old’s debut came when Reds boss Louis van Gaal brought him on against Queens Park Rangers in September.

Falcao played 25 minutes with Rooney and Van Persie but the scoring had already been completed in the 4-0 win.

The trio started at Leicester City but as United crumbled in the shock 5-3 defeat at the King Power Stadium Falcao was brought off after 71 minutes.

Van Gaal had another go gelling the trio against West Ham at Old Trafford at the end of September. It lasted an hour before United captain Rooney wrecked the plan when he was sent off.

Since then Rooney’s three-match suspension for his red card and Falcao’s calf injury have meant the link up has had to be shelved.

It had all looked so good as well and was a mouthwatering prospect for Reds fans.

Against Leicester Falcao had set up Van Persie for the opener when he outstripped Ritchie de Laet and found RVP with a perfect cross. The South American also rattled the Foxes crossbar just before Ander Herrera made it 3-1. Leicester’s two goals soon after saw Falcao sacrificed.

Before Rooney’s early bath after 60 minutes against the Hammers he had scored and Falcao had another assist to his United credit when he set up Van Persie for what proved to be the winner.

Since then Falcao and the Reds' support have been patiently waiting for Van Gaal to reintroduce the appealing front line.

The United boss has argued that his strategy is always to nurse injured players back into his senior XI via the second team.

Nobody is immune from the pattern under normal circumstances. Herrera, Michael Carrick, Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans have all been on Under-21 business building match fitness.

It was a comeback strategy long since abandoned at United in the main until Van Gaal took up office.

But Van Gaal has been unable to ease Falcao back out of necessity needing him for subs’ bench duty.

This Sunday’s Under-21 game against City has been postponed and with no official reserve games on the calendar until January 9 at Norwich, there will only be training sessions or possible behind closed doors arranged games to bring players on after injury.

But Falcao could well be ready for a start again and skip the Under-21 route.

Being teamed together on Sunday at Old Trafford against a vulnerable Liverpool side reeling from their Champions League exit and awful form would seem a perfect moment for United to find their teeth and start sinking them into opponents.