Misfit Midfielder Could Get Rare Manchester United Chance At Chelsea

Misfit Midfielder Could Get Rare Manchester United Chance At Chelsea
13:51, 15 Feb 2019

Manchester United's interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is facing one of his biggest tests since he replaced Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford.

The Reds were humbled 2-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday and on Monday, they head for London to face Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round.

Two players who were injured in the first half of that game - Jesse Lingard (hamstring) and Anthony Martial (groin) - will miss the game. Both have excelled since Solskjaer returned to United with Martial especially impressive in the new-look line-up.

Solskjaer was hoping to have both players back for the Premier League clash with Liverpool on February 25 but the suggestion is they will be out for between two and three weeks.

The changes are likely to see Marcus Rashford start along with two from Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. 

Solskjaer was particularly damning when asked about Sanchez's performance, saying: "I can't do anything about Alexis Sanchez. When he plays he needs to find himself because we know there's a quality player there."

With so little faith being shown in Sanchez, could we finally see Brazilian international Fred given a rare chance to impress? He has barely featured since Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford but he could be ideal player to combat Chelsea's midfield play-maker Jorginho.

This will be the first time that Solskjaer has prepared his team after a defeat and while we do not foresee wholesale changes, the injuries to Martial and Lingard have provided him with the first big challenge of his managerial stint.

x
Suggested Searches:
The Sportsman
Manchester United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Premier League
Sportsman HQ
72-76 Cross St
Manchester M2 4JG
We will not ask you to provide any personal information when using The Sportsman website. You may see advertisement banners on the site, and if you choose to visit those websites, you will accept the terms and conditions and privacy policy applicable to those websites. The link below directs you to our Group Privacy Policy, and our Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at: [email protected]

All original material is Copyright © 2019 by The Sportsman Communications Ltd.
Other material is copyright their respective owners.