Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists new signing Odion Ighalo does not need to know his Manchester United team – mates to be an instant hero at Chelsea on Monday.
Ighalo will only meet the rest of United ’ s squad for the first time on Sunday because the Nigerian striker has trained alone in ‘ quarantine ’ in Manchester following his move from China as a precaution in case he was carrying the coronavirus .
The death toll from the outbreak neared 1 , 400 on Friday.
But despite missing United’ s winter training camp in Spain , Ighalo, who joined on January 31, is in line to be on the bench for the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge with United still missing injured leading scorer Marcus Rashford .
And United manager Solskjaer says the lack of knowledge of his new team and style of play does not mean Ighalo cannot make an instant impact .
“ Well , it didn ’ t take me too long . I didn ’ t have a training session to come on and score !” Solskjaer said on Friday.
“ As a striker , you get thrown on out there and it might be he ’ ll have to come off the bench, give us a goal and he does whatever he ’ s done .
“ He ’ ll be involved with us and travel down with us now he ’ s out of that precautionary two week period .
“ We ’ ve kept in touch with him and of course we ’ ve done our own programme , he ’ s done his , and it was always going be a case of him having to integrate having been out in China .
“ He needs to get used to the players , the team and up to speed as quick as he can .
“ He ’ s been working really hard and pinching himself at times at joining his favourite club at the age of 30 . But he ’ s earned that one and hopefully he impresses us so we can see him play . ”
– ‘ He ’ s a goal -scorer ’ –
United ’ s signing of the former Watford striker , who has been playing in China for three years , has been subject to criticism from fans who feel he is not up to the club ’ s standards .
But Solskjaer insisted it was necessary to strengthen United’ s goal -shy attack following Rashford ’ s injury .
“ We needed another forward and when we got the chance to get Odion on a loan that was for us – he ’ s a goalscorer, he was top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations last summer so he can help the club , ” Solskjaer said .
“ He ’ s a different kind of striker to what we have. He is a very professional player , a good lad and will give something to the group . ”
Apart from Rashford , who has a stress fracture in his back , United will still be without Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay for the game in west London , which is crucial for both clubs in the pursuit of fourth place and qualification for next season ’ s Champions League.
United have beaten the Blues three times in a row since Solskjaer took over – in the FA Cup last season and Premier League and League Cup this term – and the manager knows another win is vital.
Defeat would leave United nine points adrift of Frank Lampard’ s team but Solskjaer said : “ A win closes the gap to three points and that ’ s what we ’ ve got to aim for .
“ We ’ ve played them twice this season and done well . Chelsea are a good team at home but we ’ re going to try and win the game , to give us more belief , more hope , because we need to kick on. ”
Source:- AFP
