Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has explained that the latest club signing Odion Ighalo does not need extensive work with his new club-mates in order to have an impact on the pitch.
The Red Devils signed the former Watford striker Ighalo from Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua on transfer deadline day in the winter window on a loan deal that runs out until the end of the campaign.
However, the 30-year-old forward did not join Solskjaer’s squad in Spain for their mid-season winter break, with the Red Devils exercising caution due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease in China.
Solskjaer’s side makes the trip to Stamford Bridge to face Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday and the Norwegian has included Ighalo in the squad which makes the journey to West London. The 46-year-old Norwegian is adamant that forwards can still thrive on the action without a lengthy integration period along with the remainder of the team.
While speaking to reporters ahead of the crunch clash against Chelsea Solskjaer explained that as a striker it is not that important to have a training session to come on and do something impressive on the pitch, “I didn’t have to have a training session to come on and do something, As a striker sometimes you know you just get thrown out there and do what you can. It might be that he’ll have to come off the bench and get us a goal and then he just does whatever he’s always done.
He then spoke out about Ighalo but was still unsure of whether the Nigerian will make his debut in such a hostile environment, “He’ll be involved with us [at Chelsea] and he’ll travel down with us. Obviously now he’s out of that two-week period of precaution – and it’s just a precaution we’ve made. He’ll travel with us and let’s see if he’s involved or not.
