Manchester United have quarantined Odion Ighalo

Manchester United have kept winter signing Odion Ighalo out of the first team training program. This has been done as a precautionary measure against Coronavirus, which has created an epidemic in China. According to reports in BBC, over 1,350 people have died due to the virus till now.

Ighalo has been signed on loan from Chinese club Shanghai Greenland Shenhua. Though the chances of being affected are reportedly extremely minute, Manchester United have decided not to take any risks. They are spending their winter break in Spain, training and practicing ahead of their big clash against Chelsea.

Ighalo is instead working on a personalized fitness regime, on supervision from Manchester United. He is spending his days at the National Taekwondo Centre, which is very close to United’s local rival Manchester City’s home-ground.

Though Ighalo has not made the trip to Spain, he is likely to be in the squad against Chelsea. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might even throw him into the starting XI. “He (Odion Ighalo) is going to travel with us. We will just see his fitness work this week and I think we will get him sharp,” Solskjaer has said, as per quotes in Sportstar.

“We want to integrate him as quickly as we can because, of course, he is desperate to play for us. He is a very, very good footballer and his brain is obviously quicker than many others. He has got loads of attributes that we are going to get used to. We will get used to him and he will get used to us. His passing range, his deliveries, his movements – I am just pleased to see him here enjoying himself,” the Norwegian further added.

Ighalo has been brought in so as to fit in as a temporary replacement of the injured Marcus Rashford. The former Watford man has had success in China. While he scored 36 goals in 55 games for Changchun Yatai FC, he scored 10 times in 19 appearances of Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

Cover Image: Metro