Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has indicated Jesse Lingard will stay at Manchester United and the forward has a ‘big part’ to play this season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Don’t forget Jesse Lingard. He has reinvented himself and he has come back the man that we know. With the quality he has, he is going to play a big part. I forgot him when I spoke about goalscorers. Of course, there could be more rotation. They will be fresher. You have to have a big and strong squad to be competitive in this league. It’s the best league in the world. You have to be lucky with injuries. I am looking forward to working with these boys.”
Solskjaer is hopeful more players could return for the trek to Southampton on Sunday, with Lingard due to be assessed now his isolation has ended. Dean Henderson will also be checked after struggling with Covid symptoms, Edinson Cavani should train with teammates for the first time since last season and Raphael Varane is in contention to make his debut against Southampton.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “We have eight days [between the Leeds and Southampton games], so we have just got to work hard and see who is fit and available. There will be a few available, definitely. He (Henderson) is back in for testing again and we will see how he feels tomorrow and [if he can] join in training. it’s a big, important test for him and hopefully he feels better.”
Lingard, 28, has entered the last year of his United contract and he has not started for the club in the Premier League since New Year’s Day 2020. Despite a productive loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season, Lingard has not come close to leaving United so far this summer and United have failed to sell a single player. But with Marcus Rashford sidelined until October, at the earliest, and other forwards short of full fitness, Solskjaer is prepared to keep Lingard — who was unavailable for the 5-1 thrashing of Leeds as he tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
