Solskjaer: Ighalo in line to face former club Watford

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised that Odion Ighalo will feature against his former club Watford in Saturday’s FA Cup third round clash at Old Trafford.

Former Super Eagles striker Ighalo, who is on loan at Manchester United from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, has not played since coming on as a late substitute in the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in early December.

His last start was in the Carabao Cup tie at Brighton in September, but Solskjaer is set to give the Nigerian playing time as he rests the regulars in the squad, and with Edinson Cavani still suspended.

“Odion, it’s special for him against Watford. He will be involved; he’s in the squad,” Solskjaer told the Manchester United website on Friday.

“He’s been training really well. I was just saying before, I don’t know how many goals be scored, but he was the top scorer by a mile in round-robin we just had in training. So he’s not lost any of his sharpness or his quality.

“It’s been difficult for him to be out of the squad as many times of course, because he did really well up to the summer. This season he’s not had as many opportunities, but he’s never let himself down as a professional and a human being.

“In training, he always works hard and he’s been a positive influence in the dressing room. He’s in the squad and hopefully, I don’t need to put him on that we need goals, but hopefully, he can join in.”

Ighalo has played a total of only 157 minutes this season, featuring in just four matches.

He joined United at the end of January 2020 on an initial six-month loan deal which was extended and will now end on 31 January, 2021.

Ighalo is regarded as a hero at Watford, whom he helped gain promotion to the Premier League.

He scored 40 goals and made 11 assists in 100 games for the club before leaving for China in 2017.