Ole sets his sights on catching up with Chelsea
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer expects to have a fully fit United squad to choose from if the Premier League season restarts next month as he looks to chase down fourth-place Chelsea.
Paul Pogba (ankle) and Marcus Rashford (back) have recovered from long-term injuries and should be available if the league stages fixtures in June.
Pogba has not started a match since September 30 and United have since signed Bruno Fernandes, whom is yet to play with Rashford after the forward sustained a double stress fracture to his back in mid-January.
Provided Odion Ighalo extends his loan beyond the end of May, Solskjaer will have a 30-man squad to choose from in United’s first match back, possibly against Tottenham.
“Of course we’re trying to improve all the time, develop as a team, and now we’ve got a full squad to choose from,” Solskjaer said. “And hopefully we’ve been looking after ourselves in the two months that we’ve been out.
“We just have to play it by ear and hope they click early. But let’s get back to training first and then hopefully we can play soon.”
United are fifth in the Premier League with nine matches left and three points behind Chelsea who are in the final Champions League qualifying spot.
The Reds have been drawn with Norwich City in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup and are all but in the last eight of the Europa League.
Solskjaer is confident his side can overtake Chelsea. “We hope [to be consistent] and I’ve said it so many times that I get bored by saying it; there’s been a rebuild, we’ve had to take some difficult decisions, but the young players coming through are proving we’ve made a good decision.
“We’re three points behind Chelsea, we want to get playing again and try to catch them and you’ve got the cup competitions that are a bonus. Maybe there is a way to a final or a trophy there for us.”