5 players who need to fire consistently for Manchester United to win the league

#4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Could the return of Zlatan help United capture their first post-Ferguson league title?

As the season goes deeper and key players become more tired and worn down, one big advantage that United have over a lot of their rivals – although this may not be an advantage over Manchester City – is their squad depth and the high level of players that they can call upon. And so, if Romelu Lukaku is misfiring, or can’t deliver key goals against the top teams, they have a man they can turn to right there – Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Zlatan was of course at United last season, where he scored 17 goals in Premier League action, an impressive total given United missed out on the top four spots, but a severe knee injury last summer looked like it might curtail his career at the top level. He’s proven everyone wrong by getting back to fitness quicker than was expected, though, and so he’s been brought back to United for another season. And while Lukaku has been criticised for a lack of key goals, Zlatan was responsible solely for 11 of United’s points last season.

Since returning to United, he’s only appeared in three Premier League games – all as a substitute – but with the busy Christmas period coming up, it’s likely that Mourinho will need to turn to the Swede to give him an extra option up front in order for United to bag the goals they need for maximum points. And whether he forms a partnership with Lukaku, or replaces him at times, his veteran wiles could prove to be invaluable. If he can help United to win the title, it could be his greatest achievement yet.