Manchester United will welcome Rasmus Hojlund back against Crystal Palace with the striker included in a matchday squad for the first time this season.

Hojlund hasn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury on his first appearance of pre-season against Arsenal on July 27, but the 21-year-old travelled south with the rest of the United squad on Friday evening and is set to make the bench at least. The return to fitness of the Dane is a boost for Erik ten Hag but United have made light of the absence of their £62million striker, scoring 10 goals in two wins against Southampton and Barnsley this week.

Ten Hag already faced a selection dilemma ahead of the fixture at Selhurst Park, with Amad, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee all in form and competing for a place in the front three. Hojlund has now added to that quandary with his return to the squad, having been pictured with the rest of the travelling party at Manchester Airport.

Ten Hag said on Thursday that the medical team would assess Hojlund and Mason Mount, who also returned to training this week, on Friday before deciding whether they would be in the squad. While Mount wasn’t pictured it doesn’t mean he isn’t in the squad, with the majority of those in the travelling group given parking spaces at a private terminal at the airport.

“It’s very good news they are back on the pitch,” Ten Hag said of Mount and Hojlund. “They are back in team training, we have to decide whether they are fit enough to start but it is very pleasing they are fit and back in the squad.

“We have so many games in this block to cover, so very very happy. We have to make the final call, they did a couple of training, we have to see how they recover and tomorrow [Friday] they will make the final call.”

After suffering an almost constant injury crisis last term Ten Hag is grateful to have a deeper squad available so far this season but he has hinted he will reintegrate players cautiously.

“Careful and top football: you always go to boundaries,” Ten Hag said. “It’s not avoidable but when you have a full squad available then it’s easier to manage the load when you are in circumstances like last season and there is a need to play, we have to overload them. “We hope we can integrate them in a very careful way.”

Manuel Ugarte was pictured arriving for the trip to the capital and the 23-year-old could be set for his first start in the Premier League. Ugarte arrived as a passenger in Lisandro Martinez’s Rolls-Royce.

Confirmed squad members: Heaton, Maguire, Evans, Martinez, Ugarte, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Garnacho, Rashford, Hojlund