Aaron Wan-Bissaka has verified Darren Fletcher’s claim that no Manchester United player has dribbled past him in training this season.
The 22-year-old completed a £45million move from Crystal Palace to Old Trafford in the summer and has been one of United’s standout players in an otherwise disappointing start to the campaign.
During United’s stunning 2-1 win away at Manchester City, Wan-Bissaka did what so few have managed this term by getting the better of Raheem Sterling.
Wan-Bissaka is now regarded as one of the best one-vs-one defenders in the Premier League and Sterling has certainly not been alone in struggling against the English right-back.
Earlier this month, it was claimed that not a single one of Wan-Bissaka’s team-mates had successfully dribbled past him on the training field.
‘I was talking to some Manchester United players, and they were saying that no player has managed to pass Wan-Bissaka in training this season,’ ex-United midfielder Fletcher said.
‘It’s as if he refuses to let them pass. He has to get better technically, but he is a fantastic full-back.
‘When he gets better technically, he’s going to take his game to a new level.
‘He is a fantastic defensive player and contributor for Manchester United.’
Wan-Bissaka, who has confirmed Fletcher’s claim, says his team-mates often end up ‘frustrated’ when facing him.
‘I would say so yeah, from what I can remember,’ he told The Daily Mail.
‘I can see the frustration but with them I can also see that they are not giving up.
‘They still want to keep trying until they do [get past] and that’s the thing that gets me going, team-mates testing me. It helps me.’
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed his young side to recover quickly from their Boxing Day victory over Newcastle to face Burnley.
‘I don’t think it is fair to be expected to perform at the best of your level, both mentally and physically, 48 hours after you have played,’ he said.
‘But I think we are in the best position to perform on Saturday. One – the game was over after 45 minutes. Two – we are young.
‘We have a great chance against Burnley to perform at the best level because when you are 23, which is the average age of the outfield starting players today, that will make it easier for us to recover than Burnley I think.
‘They played until the end against Everton. We were done after 45 minutes [against Newcastle] and used the second-half as recovery. But it is not fair, especially when a game at Watford [on Sunday] has just gone and there will be a game New Year’s Day [at Arsenal].
‘Two games in three days is possible once in a while but not when it is as tight as this.’
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