Manchester United of England striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has receive a strong bolt of hope that he will get to play his second straight UEFA Champions League game for The Red Devils, as two of his main rivals for a shirt, Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial are out injured, BSNSports.com.ng reports.
Cavani and Martial will both miss United’s crucial continental club competitions’ game against RB Leipzig of Germany on Tuesday, thereby creating room for Ighalo to step in.
Ighalo, who is on loan from Shanghai Shenhua of China to United until January, has found game time had to get, due to fiery form from every other striker in the team, and the arrival of Cavani during the off-season compounded his problems.
However, hope is now rising for Ighalo that could jolly well get to play his second UCL game for the club, after United’s coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that Cavani and Matial are both struggling with minor niggles and will not travel with the squad to Germany for their final game in Group H.
Solskjaer did send Ighalo on for only the last minute of the previous game in the elite clubs’ competition and after resting the former Super Eagles top striker, as his club stormed back from a goal down to beat West Ham United in the English Premier League on Saturday, Ighalo could be set to gain from a minor rotation option the Norwegian tactician hinted at.
Ighalo got his UCL debut appearance in Man United’s 3-1 loss at home against Paris Saint-Germain of France last Wednesday, when he was introduced as a 90th-minute substitute for Aaron Wan-Bissaka but his introduction could not save The Red Devils from going down at Old Trafford.
Brazilian ace, Neymar secured all three points for PSG in stoppage time with his second goal of the night after Marquinhos restored their lead in the second half, such that United will aim for revival and the single point they need to reach the round of 16, with Solskjaer hinted that Ighalo could get to play a pat o the fray on Tuesday.
Solskjaer said: “I can definitely see those traits coming back and the belief coming back. That’s a big difference from last season. We spoke about it at the start of the season, we need to get those extra points that [belief] can give us. This season, that’s proven very important so far.
“With the fitness and spirit we’re getting, it’s great knowing that we don’t give up. It gives us confidence. It’s always, in history, down to the last game and we didn’t expect, when we saw this group, to be through before the last game.
“The players are here, they are Man United players, because they have qualities that we’ve looked for and I’m sure that tomorrow night will prove that’s the reason why they’re here, they will show it.
“I think the character of the group is getting better and better and we’re looking forward to the game. It’s something that we want, games like this. It’s a tradition for Man United – we never make it easy for ourselves.”
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