Hernandez closing in on return

Hernandez closing in on return

Published Aug. 22, 2011 9:15 a.m. ET

The United hitman had only just linked up with his team-mates on their tour of the United States last month when he suffered a concussion during an innocuous incident during training in New Jersey. Having experienced similar problems in his youth, Hernandez was acutely aware of the need to take no chances and Ferguson immediately ruled him out until the end of August. However, Ferguson has now raised the possibility of a reserve team outing against Swansea at Altrincham on Thursday and the 23-year-old believes he would be ready if the call came. "My head is good," said Hernandez. "I feel better now. "I have been training with the team for three or four days but I don't know when I will be back in the squad I always say they are the decisions for the manager. Only he can answer that. "I just need to be fit and working." Hernandez was speaking at the relaunch of United's Megastore at Old Trafford. Amongst the new features available to fans is a Nike boot room, which will give fans the chance to embroider their boots with personal messages and designs. They will be just as keen for Hernandez to pull his boots back on after a stellar debut season when he scored 20 goals to propel United towards a record 19th title and the Champions League final, where they were eventually beaten by Barcelona. He enhanced that reputation by claiming the Golden Boot at this summer's Gold Cup, only for the rapid development to be halted by the injury that came as a surprise, even for Hernandez given he walked out of the Red Bull Arena the day before United's hammering of the MLS All-Stars not feeling too bad. "It was a header but the ball moved a little bit and I didn't head it well," recalled Hernandez, who will be again reduced to the role of spectator for United's opening home league game against Tottenham this evening. "I went back to the hotel and had dinner but I started feeling bad. I went to my room to rest but I had to call the doctor and they took me to hospital. "I just need to look forward, get my confidence and start heading the ball again."

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