Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the headlines on Monday after images showed that the German had returned to first-team football at Manchester United.

It looked as though we wouldn’t see the midfielder again at United, either in training or matches, after Jose Mourinho exiled him. The world-cup winner has been made to train alone or with the Under-23s as he looked a million miles away from making a first-team appearance under the Portuguese boss.

However, his return means Mourinho is now considering playing him for the first-team after their difficult start to the season. Doesn’t it?

Well, apparently not, according to the Independent.

They are claiming that Schweinsteiger only returned to training to ensure he is fully fit to be offloaded in January with the MLS his most likely destination.

With Ander Herrera suspended and Mourinho seemingly having reservations over Michael Carrick, Morgan Schneiderlin and Marouane Fellaini – some believed that Schweinsteiger had suddenly forced his way back into contention.

However, sources at Old Trafford believe that he will never play for the club again and this latest move is just to ensure he can find a club easily in the upcoming transfer window.

Schweinsteiger has already admitted that United will be the last club he plays for in Europe and a move to the United States looks on the cards.

And Mourinho is keen to offload the 32-year-old with him being paid £130,000-per-week in wages.

The United players were delighted to see their teammate back in training with Luke Shaw insisting it was ‘great’ to train alongside him again.

“It’s great to see him back,” Shaw said.

“We found out the news a couple of days ago and it’s so great to have him back.

“He’s a big influence in the dressing room and obviously on the pitch, especially for the young players like myself. It’s a great boost for us, the experience and the quality that he brings.”