Football

Odion Ighalo still ‘rusty’ despite first goal for Manchester United, says Charlie Nicholas


Ighalo scored against Brugge (Picture: Reuters)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a headache against Everton due to Manchester United’s lack of pace upfront, according to Charlie Nicholas.

Odion Ighalo and Bruno Fernandes scored in United’s Europa League win over Club Brugge and Solskjaer sang the praises of his new signings after the 5-0 rout.

United travel to Merseyside to take on Everton on Sunday and Nicholas thinks a ‘rusty’ Ighalo could be a problem for Solskjaer.

‘This is a great game. Everyone can see that Carlo Ancelotti has got Everton going,’ Nicholas told Sky Sports.

‘They are doing well through the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison. But they do make basic errors and can be vulnerable at the back, which is a worry.

‘Manchester United are building momentum, but if a team were to take them on, which Everton will, they will become disrupted.

‘Anthony Martial may not be fit, but Odion Ighalo needs game time. His goal on Thursday will have helped but he does look rusty. The pace up front then becomes a headache.

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‘Everton have definitely picked up, so I expect goals. The defence has improved at United and I see a lot of confidence there at the moment.

‘I see a fairly physical game, as the crowd will want it that way, and I cannot separate them.’

Anthony Martial is nursing a thigh injury, which forced Solskjaer to call upon Ighalo for the game against Brugge.

‘I don’t know, he went off training yesterday, just had treatment,’ Solskjaer said of Martial on Thursday.

‘He tried today, to be fair, he reported, had a fitness test this morning. It’s not a hamstring, it’s his thigh, in and around the knee, so I don’t know.’

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