JESSE LINGARD is beefed up and ready for battle in his bid to regain a Premier League starting slot.
Lingard was again an unused substitute in Friday’s 1-1 draw at Tottenham.
Lingard has beefed up over the lockdown in a bid to get back into the Man Utd XI
In fact, he hasn’t kicked off a Premier League game since Manchester United’s New Year’s Day defeat at Arsenal.
But he worked on a special muscle-building programme as well as his scheduled training routines during lockdown.
This season Lingard has struggled to show the form which made him a key figure in England’s 2018 World Cup assault.
But Old Trafford insiders revealed the 27-year-old attacking midfielder has packed on extra muscle in an effort to show Ole Gunnar Solskjaer he is ready to take the strain again.
United’s conditioning staff are said to have helped him devise a gym programme throughout the three-month break.
And Lingard has posted impressive results.
Sunsport revealed last month how the entire squad reported back to duty in top shape – with no-one carrying any excess baggage.
But Carrington insiders also say Lingard has taken his own training to the next level in an effort to impress Solskjaer and his staff.
A United source said: “All the lads did brilliantly to stay in shape.
“But Jesse deserves credit for how he didn’t just try to maintain, but also improve upon his overall physical strength.
“He will never be the biggest physical presence but the staff can all see that he is in a very good place.”
Man Utd star Jesse Lingard creates £12 ‘JLingz’ face masks with all proceeds going to the NHS amid coronavirus crisis
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
