Marc Skinner expects to have Jayde Riviere and Fridolina Rolfo back available for the Subway Women's League Cup final against Chelsea.
Riviere missed United's two games before the recent international break after coming off in pain during February's win at home to London City Lionesses.
Rolfo, meanwhile, picked up a knock as we beat Leicester one weekend earlier and was forced into a watching brief for the four matches that followed.
Both are set to make timely returns though, according to Skinner's update on Friday morning, which also provided the latest on the sidelined Anna Sandberg and Ella Toone.
“Frido’s back. Frido will be back in contention,”
Marc began, in his pre-final press conference, sat alongside captain Maya Le Tissier at Carrington.
“Tooney has been back on the field training, we still don’t have a definitive timeline but we’re looking around the back end of this window, the space we're in, and then potentially a little hangover because it's international window then, so potentially using that block of time.
“Hopefully Tooney can be back before the Tottenham game [on 26 April], but it could be earlier than that. It's just dependent on how she goes.
“Jayde Riviere is back as well, she's back available, she missed the Chelsea game before [the break in the FA Cup].
“Anna Sandberg is probably looking more likely the Tottenham game after the window, to get her back.”
Toone is working her way back from a hip problem, while Sandberg picked up a knee issue away to Atletico Madrid last month.
No update was provided on Leah Galton, who is yet to play in 2026 due to a back injury, while Celin Bizet Donnum remains unavailable as she is expecting a baby.
Midfielder Hinata Miyazawa also won't be able to play this weekend, as she is in Australia representing Japan at the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.
Hini helped her nation top Group C with three wins from as many games, and they now have a quarter-final against the Philippines to look forward to on the same day as United's final.
The tournament is due to run until 21 March and Skinner says plans are being made to have our no.20 back available as early as the first leg of our UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford, four days later.
“Absolutely [we’ve made plans to get her back for the Bayern game],”
he said. “You predict her trying to go as far in the tournament as possible. We’re looking at contingencies, we’ve spoken to Hinata, we’re looking at flights, looking at risk safety for the player.
“But I’ve already noticed looking at her minutes that she’s done a little bit less of course, because they’ve been able to get through the groups and Japan have been doing excellently.
“From our perspective, the aim will be to try and get her back into those Bayern games and the City game.
“But it will be safely and then what we’ll look at afterwards is a space where Hini can basically have some rest and recovery. But it all depends on a continuous conversation with her, how she feels, how she’s presenting medically, we’ll do all the screening.
“If she’s available and wants to play, then we’ll look to bring her back for then.”
CHELSEA'S TEAM NEWS
The Blues will be without Ellie Carpenter and Sam Kerr who are currently representing hosts Australia at the Asian Cup.
Head coach Sonia Bompastor held her pre-match press conference on Thursday and confirmed that Chelsea had picked up no new injuries over the course of the international break.
Captain Millie Bright, who missed the FA Cup tie between the clubs before the break with a contact injury, has been ruled out, as have recent absentees Niamh Charles, Catarina Macario and Mayra Ramirez.
Kadeisha Buchanan returned from an ACL injury in last month's meeting and could be available again, while Nathalie Bjorn is also expected to be available after a sideline spell.
Guro Reiten, who spent six-and-a-half seasons with the Londoners, completed a move to NWSL side Gotham FC on Thursday.