MANCHESTER, England, April 11 (Reuters) - Manchester United return to action on Monday with renewed optimism after interim manager Michael Carrick welcomed Mason Mount back to fitness and saw Lisandro Martinez return to training ahead of their Premier League clash with Leeds United.
Carrick's men have not played for more than three weeks since a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, but resume their campaign sitting third in the table and looking to strengthen their grip on a Champions League place, buoyed up by improving squad availability as the season heads into a crucial phase.
Mount has played sparingly due to injury, and was on the pitch for just a minute of the Bournemouth draw,
"It's great to have Mason back, to miss him so quickly after we came in and came together," Carrick told reporters on Saturday.
"He's obviously had nearly two or three weeks of building up and finding his rhythm, finding his sharpness. I think his versatility, is a big strength of his. He can play through the middle, he can play midfield, he can play wide and he can do so many different roles.
"We've just got to give him the time to get fit again and be patient with that but he's certainly in a good place right now."
Carrick was undecided on the status of Martinez, who has not played since suffering a calf injury in early February.
"It's just that call that we make," he said. "We wouldn't be pushed into anything.
"He's back training, which is great, and back on the grass. But we've certainly got to make the right decision and make sure he's ready."
United are third on 55 points, one point ahead of fourth-placed Aston Villa, but six ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool.
Carrick has overseen a spectacular run since taking charge in January, guiding United to 23 points from a possible 30 and restoring calm after a turbulent first half of the season.
With just weeks remaining and the race for the five Champions League places tightening, United know there is little room for complacency.
Monday's match also reignites one of English football's fiercest rivalries, with Carrick keen for his players to embrace the occasion.
"It's gone on for an awful long time," Carrick said. "I think that's what rivalries are there for, for a really good reason, I think, to be part of, and the intensity and the emotion and the passion that goes into it.
"Obviously, it's got to keep within the margins but I think that's part of the game we love, going up against other teams... and battling it out on the pitch. So I think it's something that we've got to embrace."
Leeds are 15th in the table.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
