MANCHESTER UNITED striker Marcus Rashford could miss United’s clash with Granda after picking up an injury against Brighton.
Meanwhile, Eric Bailly has tested positive for coronavirus and will be out for ‘a little while’, according to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
PEP ON HAALAND
After Man Utd target Erling Haaland arrived in Manchester with his Borussia Dortmund team-mates, Pep Guardiola said: “A player who can score this amount of goals at this age has not been easy to find in the past, honestly.
“He’s 20, the numbers speak for themselves. When that happens it’s because he can score right, left, counter-attacks, penalty box, headers.
“He’s a fantastic striker, everyone knows it. A blind guy can realise he’s a great striker, you don’t have to be a manager to realise it.
“The only thing I can say is that he is an exceptional striker. With his age, he is an exceptional striker.”
The Dortmund bus rolled into town as the Bundesliga boys checked in at The Lowry Hotel EYE FOR GOAL
Pep Guardiola says even a blind man would be able to see the quality of Manchester United target Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City boss distanced himself from reports linking the club with the Norwegian last week.
But he will get a close-up look at the 20-year-old hotshot – who arrived in Manchester wearing a Sky Blue backpack – when the two teams go head-to-head at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
Haaland has already scored ten goals in the competition this season and is rated in the £150million bracket by his German club.
Guardiola insists City will not be paying that kind of money for anyone this summer – but knows all about his ability.
And he knows his team will have to be at their best to keep him out during the two legs of the Champions League quarter-final…
CAL ON ME
Juventus are in pole position to sign AC Milan star Hakan Calhanoglu, according to reports.
The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and negotiations with his current club are believed to have stalled.
According to Sky Sport in Italy, Calhanoglu may remain at Milan beyond this summer as the two parties are still discussing a new deal.
Journalist Manuele Baiocchini is suggesting the player is wanting €1million, or £850,000, more a year than the Rossoneri are currently offering.
Should talks end without a signature, Juventus are believed to be in pole position to sign Calhanoglu.
The Turkey international has previously been a target for Manchester United, with reports suggesting he was close to signing a pre-contract agreement in November.
GET IN MA-SON!
Bruno Fernandes hailed Mason Greenwood for his winner against Brighton but warned the forward he cannot just care about goals.
The Portugal international also explained Greenwood may find things more difficult as his reputation increases. Despite that, Fernandes is confident Greenwood will improve his goalscoring form but emphasised that he must get his temperament right.
Fernandes told MUTV: “Everyone has to know that Mason is a young player and now everyone is starting to know how Mason is, it will become more and more difficult for him.
“It is normal. It is part of the development for him and he will learn from here so it doesn’t matter how many goals he scores; the most important thing for us is that he still helps the team and he is doing his best.
“It is important for us as a team, it doesn’t matter who scores. If Mason scores for us or not, it is important if he can do other jobs, recover balls, pressing, defend when we need it, make assists, create danger.
“So it is not important for him to score. He has to understand, he is such a young lad. Of course, every striker wants to score but, anyway, he will score more and more goals as the seasons pass.”
LUK AND LEARN
Romelu Lukaku surpassed Ronaldo’s Inter Milan goal record – with 13 games to spare.
The former Manchester United striker, 27, swapped Old Trafford for the San Siro in 2019 for £73million. And since then he has been in red-hot form.
In 86 appearances for Inter, Lukaku has a staggering 60 goals.
He managed 34 in 51 last term and his winning goal at Bologna on Saturday took his tally this season to 26 in 35. And that means the Belgian hitman is more prolific than the Brazilian icon.
The ‘original’ Ronaldo – nicknamed the Phenomenon – moved to Inter in 1997 after one staggering season with Barcelona where he scored 47 goals.
R9 managed 59 goals for the Serie A giants – but did so in 99 matches across five injury-hit years. Lukaku also has more assists than Ronaldo for Inter, with 13 to 12.
DOR CLOSED
Borussia Dortmund are determined to keep Manchester United target Erling Haaland this summer.
Club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Goal: “We will discuss this with Erling, his father and his agent Mino Raiola.
“We also want him to be happy to stay with us, to score goals for BVB next year with conviction. There is no alternative plan.”
Dortmund insist they want to keep Haaland, 20 A TELL-TALE
Manchester United are ready to offer Alex Telles to Sporting Lisbon on loan in a player-plus-cash deal for Nuno Mendes, reports say.
Telles was signed from Sporting’s rivals Porto this summer for £15.3million to provide competition for Luke Shaw.
But Shaw’s form has been so impressive, Telles has only played seven times in the league, with his other 14 appearances coming in cup competition.
It leaves his Old Trafford future up in the air, and according to Portuguese newspaper Record, United are willing to see the left-back leave.
They are understood to be plotting a deal for Telles, 28, to be used as ‘a bargaining chip’ to sign fellow full-back Mendes.
The offer could include a £33.9million fee for Sporting and a season-long loan of Telles.
United would still need to cover at least part of the Portugal international’s wages.
Man Utd are ready to offer Alex Telles on loan in a player-plus-cash deal for Nuno Mendes, reports say TEENAGE KICKS
Mason Greenwood scored his 12th Premier League goal as a teen for Man United yesterday.
And he’s not in bad company!
The 19-year-old still has until his birthday in October to add to his already impressive tally.
LUC WHO IT IS
Manchester United and Chelsea are set to do battle for Lucas Vazquez, according to reports.
The Spaniard is set to be out of contract in the summer, when his Real Madrid deal expires.
ACB claim that the right-sided player turned down Madrid’s latest offer, putting Premier League sides on red alert.
The 29-year-old has been playing as a wing-back of late, but made his name at Santiago Bernabeu as a winger.
Lucas Vazquez started Real Madrid’s win over Eibar at the weekendCredit: AFP
MASE RATES
Mason Greenwood has been working on his heading… and it showed yesterday against Brighton!
Here’s what he had to say to MUTV after bagging the crucial winner.
WATZ THAT ALL ABOUT?
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has defiantly claimed that it will take an ‘exceptional offer’ for Man United target Jadon Sancho to leave the club this summer.
He told DAZN: “I’m not getting involved in probabilities, it’s no good. Jadon Sancho has been with us much longer than Erling Haaland.
“We’ll have to speak to Jadon too. If there is an exceptional offer, we will discuss it with the player and the agent, as always. Nonetheless, I am very sure that the transfer market will only run to a very limited extent this summer.
“Especially at the very big clubs, you can see what kind of wounds coronavirus has inflicted – and they are not small ones that heal within two weeks.”
Jadon Sancho is a long-term Man United targetCredit: AFP COMEBACK KINGS
Last night’s come-from-behind victory over Brighton made it 25 POINTS taken from losing positions this season for Manchester United.
You can never count Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men out.
FERN TACKLE
Bruno Fernandes says he missed Marcus Rashford’s equaliser against Brighton last night, despite being credited with the assist.
The Manchester United star was hacked down by Joel Veltman after playing the ball, but the defender didn’t receive a yellow card for the challenge.
Speaking to MUTV after the match, Fernandes said: “I didn’t see it because someone almost broke my ankle!
“But I’m happy for the team, I am happy for Marcus. It was a good effort because as everyone knows he has come back from injury and he’s helped us.
“This effort comes from everyone. The press for the first goal was good it made them do the wrong ball and I recovered the ball and passed to Marcus and he scores.
“Everyone is happy when we win and it doesn’t matter who scores.”
The 26-year-old claims he missed the goal after being fouled FEEL THE BRUN
What a touch this was!
NOT GUNNAR HAPPEN
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has ruled out a move for Sergio Aguero.
He said: “When I played for Man Utd, if a rival club tried to sign me, and I had gone, well where’s the loyalty?
“Loyalty is one of the values I really, really put highly. I wouldn’t expect any player who has played for a club for 10 years to want to go to their local rivals.
“It’s not for me. I know we’re professionals, but when you play for Man Utd you don’t go to Man City. We’ve had examples of that and I didn’t really agree with it.
“I won’t name names but you all know who I mean. Enough said.”
Sergio Aguero won’t be joining Man UnitedCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
RAF TRADE
Former Spurs star Rafael van der Vaart has urged Harry Kane against moving to Real Madrid – instead favouring a transfer to Old Trafford.
The Dutchman told Ziggo Sport: “He is now the best striker after [Robert] Lewandowski, and he is the man at Tottenham.
“It may sound crazy, but you would almost say go to Manchester United or something, stay in England.
“Usually, it’s not such a success when an English player goes to Madrid.”
Van der Vaart has urged Kane to ignore interest from Madrid DEM ONES
Manchester United are in ‘regular contact’ with Ousmane Dembele’s agent, according to reports.
But they may face stiff competition for the 23-year-old should they attempt to sign him, with Liverpool also rumoured to be interested.
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, United have been monitoring the player for some time and tried to sign him on loan last summer.
Dembele is out of contract at the end of next season but could yet sign a new deal at Barcelona.
The Red Devils are believed to be in regular contact with the player’s agent, with Edinson Cavani likely to leave Old Trafford at the end of this season.
But they may have to beat Juventus to his signature, should they decide to pursue him.
Several top European clubs are believed to be interested in signing Dembele, 23 JUAN MORE YEAR
Manchester United star Juan Mata is set to be given a new one-year deal at the club, according to reports.
The 32-year-old hasn’t featured much under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this season but is believed to be still in his plans.
According to the Daily Star, United will activate a one-year extension in Mata’s contract.
Rumours of a new deal are a surprise as he’s made just seven Premier League appearances this season.
But the former Spain international may still leave the club even if his contract is extended.
The Red Devils may add a further year to his deal just to command a transfer fee this summer.
They are reported to want around £5million for the player.
It is believed Mata, 32, will be given a new contract at Old Trafford TUCHY SUBJECT
Chelseaa boss Thomas Tuchel refused to rule out a swoop for Man United target Erling Haaland as transfer talks continue for the Borussia Dortmund striker.
The Blues are desperate to land a new No9 this summer to bolster their attack – with the Norwegian, 20, their primary target.
Haaland’s dad Alf-Inge and agent Mino Raiola – who could bag up to £25million from any deal – have held discussions with Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain before heading to England to meet with Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.
But Tuchel did not give anything away when quizzed on any potential meeting between Haaland’s representatives and the Blues.
The German said: “I will not answer that, out of respect for the player and for Borussia Dortmund.
“He’s a Borussia Dortmund player, and of course there’s big news around him and his agent. And it seems like they are creating a race for the player.
“But still everybody needs to accept, and I will fully accept, that he is a Borussia Dortmund player, a very promising player of course.
“But with respect to the situation, he’s not in our squad, he’s not in our club so there’s no comment on anything else regarding him.”
Erling Haaland is top of Chelseaâs transfer wish list for the upcoming summer transfer window SAME OLE STORY
After last night’s 2-1 win over Brighton, let’s take a look at what boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to say.
GRASS IS GREENER
Morning, Red Devils!
Let’s take another look at Mason Greenwood’s crucial late winner last night.
MORNING UNITED FANS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims United belatedly “lit the fireworks” to clinch last night’s 2-1 comeback win over Brighton.
But a new injury doubt over Marcus Rasfhord and a positive Covid-19 test for Eric Bailly dampened Solskjaer’s mood.
Mason Greenwood and Rashford fired home on 62 and 83 minutes after United old boy Danny Welbeck hit an early opener.
And Solskjaer admitted: “I thought we started well but when they scored, after that we couldn’t find our rhythm again.
“Second half we played some good stuff. More runs in behind, more movement, better movement.
“Sometimes after international breaks it takes time – and then maybe the fireworks have to be lit at half-time.”
Of Rashford’s late substitution, the Norwegian said: “You just hope he can recover from it. He had to come off, but he’s a tough one.”
Solskjaer also confirmed centre-back Bailly will be out “a little while” after contracting coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Juventus have reportedly told Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola they can’t afford to re-sign the United midfielder.
THERE’S NAY BETTER FEELING
Blissful Manchester United keeper David de Gea posted a selfie with “my little princess” – his month-old daughter Yanay.
The Spaniard was back on the bench for United’s 2-1 win over Brighton tonight following paternity leave.
But judging by this delightful photo, the last thing on his mind is the struggle to displace Dean Henderson between the sticks.
Yanay is the first child for De Gea and his pop star partner Edurne.
BAILLY OUT WITH COVID-19
Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tonight revealed Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly will be out “a little while” after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Ivory Coast star, 26, is said to be still out of the country due to contracting the coronavirus.
Bailly was already struggling to break up Harry Maguire’s defensive partnership with Victor Lindelof, having been troubled with injuries this season.
Eric Bailly has suffered another blow in his troubled season, contracting coronavirusCredit: Getty POTTER: I THOUGHT IT WAS A PENALTY
Brighton boss Graham Potter admits he thought Danny Welbeck HAD won a penalty in the latest VAR controversy – before United battled back for victory.
Brighton’s United old boy scorer Welbeck seemed goalbound when he faltered under the challenge of Harry Maguire but the Seagulls’ fierce appeals were rejected, including after replays.
Potter told the BBC: “When it was live I thought it was a penalty then I suppose it’s the clear and obvious debate. If Mike Dean had given it I don’t think VAR would have over-ruled it.”
He added: “We contributed well in the game. We took the lead and were probably the team which carried the most threat in the first half.
“We just missed that final pass. Man Utd responded in the second half without creating too many chances.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
