Manchester, Sep 2 (IANS): In what could be seen as a departure from Manchester United football manager Jose Mourinho's earlier stance, Bastian Schweinsteiger has been included in their official squad list for the first half of the English Premier League season.

Schweinsteiger, 32, has not been part of United's first-team squad so far this season, with Mourinho saying it was "very difficult" for the player to break into his midfield.

But with the former Germany international, who played his 121st and final cap for his country against Finland on Wednesday, named in the squad he at least has the chance to force his way into Mourinho's plans.

According to ESPNFC, United still do not see Schweinsteiger as part of their plans, while the player himself has said that a move to the Major League Soccer (MLS) in America could draw his interest with United being his last European club.

Schweinsteiger, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014, was included in the squad by force rather than choice.

Each Premier League club must name a 25-man squad of which eight places are reserved for home grown players aged over 21, leaving 17 spots for non-home grown players.

As United only have 15 senior non-home grown players, they were able to accommodate Schweinsteiger in the list without omitting anyone else.

Any team which has fewer than eight home grown players will operate with a reduced senior squad.

Players aged under 21 -- such as Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford -- do not count towards the quotas. Changes can be made to a 25-man squad during the January transfer window.

One surprise name in the squad in Sadiq El-Fitouri, the 21-year-old defender signed from Salford City. As El-Fitouri turns 22 in October he had to be named in the squad to be eligible to play in the Premier League.

The full squad: Bailly, Blind, Carrick, Darmian, De Gea, Depay, El-Fitouri, Fellaini, Herrera, Ibrahimovic, Johnstone, Jones, Lingard, Mata, Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Rojo, Romero, Rooney, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Smalling, Valencia, Young

First-team U21s: Fosu-Mensah, Martial, Rashford, Shaw