Manchester United’s Odion Ighalo training away from Carrington due to coronavirus concerns

Striker has been following a personalised fitness programme at the National Taekwondo Centre

Tom Kershaw
Thursday 13 February 2020 11:35 GMT
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Odion Ighalo has been asked to train away from Manchester United’s Carrington base since joining the club on deadline day due to concerns over the coronavirus.

United have been forced to take extra precautions since signing Ighalo from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, with the striker missing the club’s warm-weather training camp in Spain.

It was feared that Ighalo may not have been allowed to return to the UK due to a tightening of regulations over people who’ve left China within the last 14 days.

It’s been revealed that United have also taken the added measure of asking Ighalo to train away from Carrington due to the 30-year-old still being within the coronavirus’s 14-day incubation period.

The Nigeria international has instead been following a personalised programme at the National Taekwondo Centre in a bid to improve his fitness, having not played a competitive match since 6 December.

However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not ruled out Ighalo making his United debut against Chelsea on Monday.

“He is going to travel with us,” Solskjaer said earlier this week. “We will just see his fitness work this week and I think we will get him sharp.

“We want to integrate him as quickly as we can because, of course, he is desperate to play for us.”

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