Nigerian striker Ighalo set for record debut with Man Utd
THE Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo will be the cynosure of eyes today as he expectedly makes his long-awaited debut for Manchester United in an English Premier League (EPL) tie away at Chelsea.
Odion IghaloManchester United got a boost ahead of their clash at Stamford Bridge tonight as loan signing Ighalo reported for training for the first time at the club’s Carrington training base.
The 30-year-old striker completed an enforced 14-day spell away from his new side due to coronavirus fears having joined from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua.
United took the precaution despite the fact that Ighalo did not arrive in the UK from Wuhan, where the virus originated.
It forced the 30-year-old to miss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winter break training camp in Marbella last week, over fears he would not be allowed back into the country due to tightening of national security following the outbreak of coronavirus.
Ighalo had been training with Manchester-based performance coach Wayne Richardson at the GB Taekwondo Centre in the city.
Though Ighalo hasn’t played competitively since December 6, United’s boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes he can still give United the edge against fourth-placed Chelsea.
“I never said he [Ighalo] was going to be ready to play on Monday,” Solskjaer said. “He’ll be involved with us and he’ll travel down with us and, obviously, now he’s out of that two-week period of precaution and it’s a precaution we’ve made.
“He’ll travel with us and let’s see if he’s involved or not. He’s done his [training programme] and it was always going to be a case of him having to integrate into the group anyway after having been out in China.
He needs to get used to the players and the team and up to speed as quick as he can.”
Meanwhile, Ighalo has revealed he will dedicate his goals for new club Manchester United to his older sister Mary, who died suddenly last year.
Mary, 43, died at home in Canada and like Ighalo, was a big fan of Manchester United.
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