Bastian Schweinsteiger returns to Manchester United training after four month exile from Jose Mourinho's first-team squad

Bastian Schweinsteiger has returned to first-team training with Manchester United, after months of exile from Jose Mourinho's squad.

The former Germany international had been forced to train on his own this season, with Mourinho making it clear that the 32-year-old was not part of his plans.

But Schweinsteiger was spotted back in training with his team-mates on Monday, just days after being left out of the club's squad photograph. 

Bastian Schweinsteiger was spotted in Manchester United's first team training on Monday

United captain Wayne Rooney welcomes his team-mate back into the fold at Carrington

Jose Mourinho was on hand to cast an eye over the player he had previously exiled

UNITED WITH AND WITHOUT BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER 

With Schweinsteiger	Man Utd in PL 15/16 - 16/17	Without Schweinsteiger
18	Games	30
10	Wins	13
6	Draws	6
2	Losses	11
23	Goals For	39
1.3	Avg. Goals For	1.3
11	Goals Against	36
0.6	Avg. Goals Against	1.2
55.60%	Win Percent	43.30%
2	Points/Game	1.5

He was pictured smiling during the session with Wayne Rooney, who looked delighted to see his team-mate return to the fold, as well as coming under the watchful eye of Mourinho. 

Phil Jones was also back in first-team training after returning for injury, as was the unfancied Henrikh Mkhitaryan, alongside a host of more regular stars. 

Whether this will mean a return to the match-day squad for the World Cup winner or not is unknown, but it is a start for Schweinsteiger, who had also trained with the under-23 side this season.

He was a regular member of Louis van Gaal's side last year when fit, although injuries limited the former Bayern Munich man to just 13 Premier League games.

But he is yet to play a single minute under Mourinho, and is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, if not before. 

That is despite the fact that United actually perform far better with him in the side than without.

In the 30 games he has missed since signing, under Van Gaal and Mourinho, United have won only 13 games, or 43 per cent, compared to 10 wins in 18 (56 per cent) without him. 

Schweinsteiger is put through his paces alongside fellow midfielder Michael Carrick

Schweinsteiger plays a pass as Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marouane Fellaini look on

The German star had been exiled by Jose Mourinho, and has not played this season

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Phil Jones also returned to the first-team squad on Monday as he recovers from injury

United's players listen to instructions as they trained at Carrington on Monday morning

Paul Pogba was involved as United trained for the first time since drawing with Burnley

Rooney sported a snood during the session as United prepare to face Fenerbahce on Thursday

The 32-year-old's contract - worth in excess of £130,000 a week - does not run out until the summer of 2018, with United willing to let him go on a free transfer.

Schweinsteiger attended last Wednesday night's EFL Cup win over rivals City and has tweeted messages of support despite being told he has absolutely no future at Old Trafford.

His locker in first team changing room at Carrington has been cleared out and one of the coaches takes him aside each day while he trains on his own.

He remains friendly with a number of the first team players but there it had seemed as though there was no chance that he will play with them again at Manchester United before he returned to training on Monday.