Solskjaer says Pog is in ‘race to be fit for Gunners’
PAUL Pogba is a doubt for United’s Premier League game against Arsenal with an ankle injury.
The Frenchman returned from a three-week lay-off with a twisted ankle to start against Rochdale in the League Cup on Wednesday night but suffered a knock during the 90 minutes.
The Reds won their penalty shootout against Rochdale 5-3 but
Pogba, who had a spot-kick stopped at Wolves last month, did not take one in the third round tie.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested Pogba was held back due to his ankle and clarified that was why he did not attend a team bonding meal after the Rochdale tie.
“The situation is he finished the game, 90 minutes, fantastic,” Solskjaer explained.
“But he got a knock to his ankle, which is very swollen, so it was better for him not to go there with the team and he’s in a race for Monday. That’s just the way it is.”
United have won two of their six league matches, only narrowly beat Kazakh side Astana 1-0 and were held to a 1-1 draw by League One Rochdale before they prevailed on penalties.
In 17 of their last 20 matches, they have scored no more than one goal and Mason Greenwood could be their only available striker against Arsenal. Solskjaer reiterated this was always going to be a tricky campaign. “I never said it was gonna be easy this season. I said it many times,” he said. “There are going to be ups and downs highs and lows, and when we lose a game and go through difficult periods it’s time for us to trust ourselves and trust what we’re doing, keep our eyes on the prize and keep working to the principles we believe in.
“It’s not changing direction every game you lose. Any game in the PL is winnable but is also loseable, it’s margins, fine margins and sometimes you stand there smiling and you’re happy because you won a game and sometimes you’re angry because you lost the game.
“But deep down you know we’re on the right way, or you win a game and you’re not really happy with it. You’ve got to portray the right image.” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Paul Pogba