OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has confirmed he could turn to the kids against Leicester in a bid to cope with Manchester United’s chaotic fixture list.
The Red Devils are in the midst of a horror run of three games in just five days, surviving the first test against Aston Villa in a 3-1 win on Sunday,.
But United must next take on the Foxes on Tuesday before Thursday’s clash against Liverpool with their Premier League title hopes still just about alive following Manchester City’s home loss against Chelsea.
And Solskjaer has admitted he could turn to youth in a bid to keep his squad healthy.
Captain Harry Maguire limped off during the Villa Park win and could miss the rest of the season.
Phil Jones, Anthony Martial and Dan James are also missing for Man Utd – with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw in need of a rest.
Fringe players such as Axel Tuanzebe and Alex Telles could come into the starting XI with Shaw and Wan-Bissaka in need of a breather.
Wan-Bissaka is United’s only senior, out-and-out right-back, but Tuanzebe performed admirably on the right-side of a back-three against Paris Saint-Germain earlier this season and could deputise.
Donny van de Beek could be given a shot in the No10 slot should Solskjaer opt to rest Fernandes, while Edinson Cavani may start up front ahead of Marcus Rashford amid his hot run of form.
But Solskjaer has admitted youngsters such as 18-year-old Amad Diallo – who scored in the Europa League draw with AC Milan in March – and Shola Shoretire, 17, could also play a role on Tuesday.
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Ahead of the game, Solskjaer said: “[Diallo and Shoretire] are in contention, definitely. They’re in the first-team squad.
“They’re training with us every day so I would think that some of the young boys will get an appearance definitely.
“If it’s coming on towards the end or starting, I don’t know.
“I don’t know how the players will be on Tuesday when we see them.”
But Solskjaer did confirm the need for his squad to pace themselves and not ‘go all out’ given their fixture congestion.
The Norwegian said: “I wish I could have said let’s go full out in all the games… but it’s impossible.
“That’s the hard bit for me – knowing that if I do play the same XI again on Tuesday and Thursday, it’s impossible.
“I run too much of a risk of injuries so talking about integrity in the league and stuff, don’t blame me when I have to make changes, because I have to.
“It’s not safe for them to play all four, so I’ve got to prioritise.”
Man Utd welcome Leicester at Old Trafford on Tuesday, with kick-off 6pm.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
