Danny Murphy says Manchester United can finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League provided they can get Marcus Rashford firing again.
The United striker was in scintillating form in the first half of the season, netting 21 goals in 31 appearances before a back injury in January appeared to end his campaign.
Yet the three-month break due to the coronavirus has given Rashford - and Paul Pogba - a second chance at playing again this season.
It has left former Liverpool midfielder Murphy optimistic at United's chances as long as Rashford can recapture his form.
"It will be great to see so many players back on the pitch after injury — Paul Pogba, Aymeric Laporte, Marcus Rashford, David Brooks, Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, John McGinn among them," Murphy wrote in his Daily Mail column.
"Marcus Rashford is the player I am most excited to see and I believe could make the biggest difference.
"If he hits the form he showed before injuring his back in January, Manchester United can qualify for the Champions League.
"He was in the best form of his life."
Murphy believes the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have benefited from seeing Bundesliga matches behind closed doors this month and expects managers to adapt their plans accordingly.
He said: "It’s useful that Premier League players have already seen the Bundesliga resume.
"They have seen close marking and rugged challenges without players feeling unsafe or spreading the virus.
"It has also been a useful guide for managers. We should expect more rotation than usual given each team will have to squeeze nine games into a short period of time.
"Five substitutions are allowed and they will be used."
