Louis van Gaal has given a return date for David de Gea to first-team action

In a world of darkness, there shines a light.

And while it may only be a pinprick at this stage, at least Manchester United fans can hope that it will develop into something to illuminate the darkness they have found themselves in recently. That dank period for the club was exacerbated last week when they lost to the Danish champions FC Midtjylland in the Europa League. The 2-1 defeat was bad enough without the fans having to see goalkeeper David de Gea cry off before the game with what at the time looked like a serious knee injury. The Spain international was initially feared to have been ruled out for a number of weeks, but tonight, ahead of the FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town, Louis van Gaal has confirmed that the ‘keeper may feature in Thursday’s Europa League second leg.