Manchester United have been handed a timely boost after Amad returned to training on the grass at Carrington as he stepped up his return to fitness following an ankle injury. The 22-year-old posted a video on his Instagram account of him sprinting across the turf at United's training ground in the latest step back to a return to action for the forward. Amad hasn't played for the club since suffering an injury in training in early February and he was initially expected to miss the rest of the season, but the medical bulletins have been more promising of late. Ruben Amorim was last asked about Amad earlier this month when he again confirmed he expected the Ivory Coast international to be back available before the end of the season, saying "I think he will be ready in the final games". He added: “He’s doing quite well. We hope to have him before the season is finished. “We'll see, but he's anxious to play, so we are waiting for him.” Amad posted the short video to his social media account on what is a recovery day for the first team after their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday. He is only seen doing running in it and isn't yet expected to return to full contact training. But the latest step in his return will be a major boost to Amorim after the dismal defeat at St James' Park. Amad was the standout player in the early months of Amorim's reign and his absence has left the creative burden squarely on the shoulders of Bruno Fernandes. Amad registered six goals and five assists under Amorim before his injury setback arrived. Although United's Premier League season is a write-off, the former Atalanta man could return to impact the Europa League campaign. United face Lyon at Old Trafford in a quarter-final second leg on Thursday, with the tie poised at 2-2. If they progress past the Ligue 1 outfit the semi-finals will take place on May 1 and May 8 with the final in Bilbao on May 21. --- Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .