LU CAN COUNT ON ME
Rom to rescue for Ole
ROMELU LUKAKU has vowed to get the goals to help Manchester United through their injury crisis.
Their bid to secure a top-four finish and Champions League qualification is in danger of being undermined following a raft of injuries.
Caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen five stars sidelined – including three in the first half alone against Liverpool on Sunday – to leave him short on options.
Nemanja Matic, Anthony Martial, Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are all out of tomorrow’s game at Crystal Palace.
Marcus Rashford damaged ankle ligaments during the Liverpool game and is having tests but he must be rated doubtful for Selhurst Park.
It means Lukaku could be the only fit regular forward available.
The £80m striker has had a difficult campaign and found himself out of the starting line-up until last week.
Lukaku has not scored in his last nine appearances and played in an unfamiliar wider role against Jurgen Klopp’s league leaders.
But the Belgium ace insists he is happy to play anywhere and can come up with the goods in United’s hour of need.
Lukaku said:
“Left or right or up front – it doesn’t matter to me.
‘‘Playing for this club is an honour and I try to do my best in whichever position I play in. If it is on the right, then I will try to create chances, which I did against Liverpool, and if it is up front, then I will try to score goals.
“At the end of the day I just try and help my team-mates out and try to win matches.
“Yes, I’d like a run of games now. As long as the manager wants to use me I will do my best to help the team out. “We have a number of injuries but we have to stay positive and have that positive mentality.”
Defender Luke Shaw revealed United’s players went “crazy” in the dressing room at half-time on Sunday, which led to their improved second-half display.
United struggled in the first half against their arch rivals, with the enforced changes before the break compounding a poor first 45 minutes. But Shaw said a heated exchange at half-time saw United emerge for the second half with greater purpose. He said: “We were all very disappointed with how the first half went, we didn’t play well but luckily that didn’t cost us.
“But we had a change of formation, we had a good chat at half-time – everyone was going crazy.
“We said, ‘Relax and we just need to play our game’ and the second half was better. “We still weren’t at our best but we created the best chances and I feel that we should have won the game.” ACROSS: DOWN: