Mata feeling 'much better,' could return before end of season

Injured midfielder Juan Mata has hope that he'll play for Manchester United again this season.

Mata, who underwent groin surgery in March, was supposed to miss the remainder of the campaign, but in a blog post Monday, the Spain international said he has made good progress on the road to recovery.

"As you can imagine, this month has been a bit too long for me due to my injury," he wrote. "I had never been in a situation like this before (I've been very lucky), but the truth is I'm feeling much better now and I hope to be back with the team soon, to try to help in the last spell of the season.

"I hope so, because that's all I want: being always available to help and to contribute as much as I can, both on and off the pitch."

Ten days ago, manager Jose Mourinho essentially ruled out the 28-year-old for the rest of the season. The Portuguese believed the end of May would be a more realistic timetable for Mata's return.

United would have seven matches to play in May alone if it advances to the Europa League final, giving the player a considerable chance of featuring at some point.

The injury forced Mata off the pitch just as he regained Mourinho's trust. Mata's 10 goals still rank second among United scorers, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading the way with 28 tallies.

Ibrahimovic's season came to a definitive end last week after he suffered a significant knee injury.