Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie has been away from the field for over a month with an ankle injury. The Dutchman last featured for his side in the 2-1 away loss to Swansea City on February 21st, the game which landed the former Arsenal man on the sidelines for six weeks.
Initially, Van Persie looked set to miss out on Sunday's Manchester derby, as many thought the match at Old Trafford will come much too soon for the 31-year-old. However, he declared himself fit via Twitter on Wednesday, tweeting:
“Back to training with the group today. Was a great session. Happy to be fit and able to play again. Looking forward to my next game!”
Back to training with the group today. Was a great session. Happy to be fit and able to play again. Looking forward to my next game!
— Robin van Persie (@Persie_Official) April 8, 2015
This does not mean he will be a starter vs. the Citizens, but whether the opportunity to include him in the starting eleven reveals itself, should Louis Van Gaal grab it?
The Holland captain has not been in prolific form this season, amid rumors he will be sold. Nonetheless, he is the club's 2nd highest scorer this campaign, behind Rooney who is the first with 12 strikes.
The Manchester United number 20 has netted 10 times in 24 appearances, that is 10 goals in 1,993 minutes in the English Premier League. These are fair stats for a player supposedly way past his prime.
Furthermore, Van Persie may have only two assists to his name this season, but he is only second to the club captain in terms of number of chances created with 24.
However, a deep look into Manchester United stats show the club perform better without the Dutchman. With Van Persie in their squad, the Red Devils averaged 1.8 points per game, scored 1.7 goals per game, and had a 50% win rate. Since his injury, their win rate rose to a staggering 85.7%, averaging 2.6 points and 2 goals per game.
In addition, Van Persie's record against Manchester City isn't one to fear. Since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams in 2012, he has only managed to score past Joe Hart once.
One thing weighing in his favor though is that lone goal came in his debut season for Manchester United, and it was a winning goal in a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Etihad. Plus, the strike came in the 92nd minute, not something easy to forget.
Robin looks highly unlikely to be introduced into the starting eleven so soon, but with his undeniable goalscoring threat, expect Van Gaal to use him as a super sub on Sunday.
