Manchester United 4-0 Wigan Athletic: Bastian Schweinsteiger overhead kick caps convincing win as Warren Joyce endures miserable return

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It wasn’t the most graceful overhead kick you will ever see. At the age of 32, and with his fair of injuries behind him, Bastian Schweinsteiger isn’t as nimble as he used to be.

When Ander Herrera’s header bounced at his feet nine minutes for time, it was surprising that Schweinsteiger had any energy left at all to hook the ball past Jakob Haugaard for Manchester United’s fourth goal.

This was, after all, his first start for United in 385 days. His other two appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side this season had lasted a combined total of 16 minutes since the end of November. 

Bastian Schweinsteiger marked his first Manchester United start in more than a year with a goal in the win over Wigan

Schweinsteiger completed the FA Cup fifth-round rout over Wigan with an acrobatic finish from inside the six-yard box

Manchester United's opening two goalscorers Marouane Fellaini and Chris Smalling celebrate the side's second goal

Fellaini out-muscled on-loan Wigan defender Callum Connolly to head United in front on the stroke of half-time on Sunday

The former Everton midfielder shows the back of his shirt to the fans after heading the hosts ahead with a trademark strike

Smalling leaps highest inside the six-yard box to give United a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fifth-round encounter

Henrikh Mkhitaryan is congratulated by Wayne Rooney after he added a third with Wigan keeper Jakob Haugaard unhappy

Until then, the German World Cup winner had been forced to train with the kids and then train on his own at Carrington, an unwanted member of the squad Mourinho inherited from Louis van Gaal.

No doubt, the United manager would rather Schweinsteiger had slipped quietly out of the back door last summer, but the veteran midfielder refuses to walk away from a lucrative contract that still has 18 months to run.

He has stuck to his guns and yesterday came his reward. Schweinsteiger stuck the ball in the net and then celebrated with a swing of an imaginary racquet in front of his wife, retired tennis star Ana Ivanovic.

With Ashley Young set to follow Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneniderlin out of Old Trafford before the transfer window closes tomorrow (tues), Mourinho confirmed that Schweinsteiger will be added to his Europa League squad for the last 32 tie against St Etienne next month. 

United selected Luke Shaw from the off and he battled hard down the left with Latics defender Connolly early on

Wayne Rooney captained the United side fresh from his 250th goal for the club in the 1-1 draw with Stoke last weekend

The 31-year-old was presented with a golden ball prior to kick-off to commemorate his landmark strike at Old Trafford

Rooney was presented with an award for becoming the club's top goal scorer of all time by Sir Bobby Charlton on Sunday

The Belgian midfielder Fellaini gets hold of Sam Morsy's shirt during the opening stages and he was penalised for the foul

With United’s pursuit of four trophies making ‘a crazy situation’ of the fixture list, according to their manager, this is unlikely to be the last time Schweinsteiger makes the starting line-up.

‘Yeah, he is staying,’ said Mourinho. ‘He is going to the Europa League list because we open spaces with Depay and Schneiderlin and we don’t have many options in midfield.

‘Ninety minutes today was probably too hard for him, but now I think he’s happy and he was a good professional when he was not playing. With so many competitions and games, he will be an option.’

Mourinho also said that this victory had not changed his view of some of the players who put the FA Cup holders comfortably into the fifth round after he made nine changes.

It’s fair to say that applies to Schweinsteiger, who endured a shaky start on Sunday, and possibly Luke Shaw, although Anthony Martial impressed after being told to make the most of his opportunity.

On paper, Wigan represented the easiest of opponents for Mourinho’s side.

United have now won 18 of 19 meetings against their north-west neighbours. On 10 of those occasions they have score four or more goals. The aggregate score over nine games played at Old Trafford stands at 32-1.

The statistics do not tell the whole story of this game, however. 

Former United reserves coach Wigan Joyce was back at Old Trafford but he endured a miserable comeback

Sergio Romero was selected in goal by Jose Mourinho as the United boss showed his faith in the club's second choice

Henrikh Mkhitaryan gets on the ball and looks to spark another United offensive against their local opponents on Sunday

Rooney was played in an advanced role and allowed to roam against the lower-league opponents in the FA Cup last 32

Former United reserve-team boss Warren Joyce was understandably pleased with Wigan’s performance for 44 minutes on his return to Old Trafford as they frustrated a home side lacking inspiration and played some attractive football of their own.

Indeed, when United made the breakthrough just before half-time, there was not much finesse about it.

Wayne Rooney played the ball out to Schweinsteiger on the right and he swung it towards the back post where Marouane Fellaini overpowered Callum Connolly to head home.

‘A goal you see every week in the Championship,’ lamented Joyce.

The second, in the 57th minute, was not too dissimilar. Martial cut inside and clipped a cross to the edge of the six-yard box and Chris Smalling rose above Stephen Warnock to beat Haugaard again.

By then, the Championship side had wasted their one big chance, David Perkins failing to beat Sergio Romero after United’s No.2 goalkeeper had pushed Connolly’s cross straight to him after a fine sequence of passes.

‘As good a move as there was in the match,’ added Joyce. ‘Slick football, slick play and you think just hit the back of the net.’

In fairness, the best move of the match preceded United’s third goal as they tore a tired Wigan apart.

Schweinsteiger cleared the ball out of his own box, Rooney laid it off for the excellent Henrikh Mkhitrayan who sent Martial racing down the left.

Mkhitaryan set off in support and was perfectly placed to convert from close range when the Frenchman played it back to him.

Then Schweinsteiger executed that unlikely overhead kick as United march on in another cup competition.

Fellaini has enjoyed a resurgence in recent weeks having been booed by pockets of United fans until only recently 

Anthony Martial was a constant thorn in the Wigan defence with the Frenchman laying on two assists in the second half

Wigan had a good chance to level the contest when Romero made a mess of a clearance but David Perkins couldn't capitalise

Smalling rises above Stephen Warnock to crash in his second goal of the season as Wigan's challenge faded in the rain

Mkhitaryan made no mistake from close range to extend United's lead with his fourth goal in nine games after 74 minutes

Timothy Fosu-Mensah lies injured in the second half and the youngster was forced off and replaced by Axel Tuanzebe

United made their final substitution with the game won as Joel Castro Pereira made his first appearance for the senior side

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Schweinsteiger reacted quickest to the loose ball to slam home United's fourth late on

The 2014 World Cup winner was on hand to give United fans a rousing finale with his improvised finish from close ranage

Schweinsteiger appeared to show off his tennis skills in tribute to Roger Federer who won the Australian Open on Sunday