Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Jesse Lingard has the ‘qualities’ to still play a role at Manchester United

No goals or assists for the No. 14 in the league this season

Karl Matchett
Saturday 18 July 2020 19:26 BST
Comments
Solskjaer says Manchester United didn't expect anything else against Southampton

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he knows the “value” of Jesse Lingard and says the attacking midfielder still has a role to play.

Lingard made an appearance off the bench against Crystal Palace in midweek, his first minutes on the pitch since the restart.

His Premier League action this term has been restricted to just over 900 minutes, with his involvement cut even further after the signing of Bruno Fernandes.

But Solskjaer told the United club website that the 27-year-old is showing the professionalism and dedication required to remain in the frame for a place going forward.

“Jesse is a part of the club and he’s worked really hard,” Solskjaer said.

“He deserves his chance to come back in and we know his qualities. We know that Jesse’s got different qualities to other players and he knows that we value him.”

Despite having multiple irons in the fire, with Europa League action on the horizon and a Champions League place still up for grabs in the league, the United boss wants his team focused on the job at hand.

“This is a great chance to get to the final, we’re just one step away, it’s at Wembley, so we just focus on the FA Cup.

“And a trophy, of course, that’s massive for any player to win and any team to win, so that’s our main focus now – to get to the final.

“Then we will look at West Ham and look at Leicester after that.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in