Man United are scheduled to take on Man City in the Premier League this weekend and right now, Solskjaer will probably be sweating over the fitness of Anthony Martial.
The Frenchman picked up a muscular injury earlier this week which meant he was a no-show during Man United’s win over Spurs in midweek. And when the manager was asked whether the player would be fit in time for the Manchester Derby, here’s what Ole had to say.
“A little while – how long is a piece of rope?” the manager had said via MEN.
“The City game? I don’t know. I am not sure.
“Of course you want to have your first XI, your biggest and best players all of the time, and I’ve done that once against Chelsea, and maybe Wolves. But it’s a squad game and the subs are so vital.”
The absence of Anthony Martial would certainly have been a big blow for Man United since they would be playing away from this weekend but Solskjaer did have adequate backup in the form of youngster Mason Greenwood.
Now though it looks like Greenwood wouldn’t be called upon since Anthony Martial is expected to be fit and available for selection when the Red Devils travel to the Etihad on Saturday.
“We hope to have Anthony, definitely, for part of the game. I am not sure he is able to start,” the manager said in his press conference.
This will surely be a big boost to Solskjaer and his plans since many pundits feel the Norwegian could opt for a 3-5-2 formation in which case Martial would be a key player for Man United.
But since there are still doubts as to whether he will be fit enough to start, Mason Greenwood could very well play as the frontman from the start.
