Odion Ighalo banned from using Man Utd training ground facilities over coronavirus fears - 7M sport

Odion Ighalo banned from using Man Utd training ground facilities over coronavirus fears



Posted Thursday, February 13, 2020 by Express.co.uk

Odion Ighalo banned from using Man Utd training ground facilities over coronavirus fears
Man Utd news: Odion Ighalo has been training away from the club because of coronavirus fears (Image: GETTY/TWITTER)

New Manchester United signing Odion Ighalo joined the club on transfer deadline day but has not trained at their facilities because of coronavirus fears.

Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has been prevented from using the club’s training ground because of a potential coronavirus risk. The former Watford man joined the Red Devils on transfer deadline day on loan from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.

United ordered Ighalo to train away from their complex amid health and safety concerns with the deadly virus claiming more than 1,100 lives worldwide.

The 30-year-old has been brought in with Marcus Rashford out injured and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lacking options in attack.

Ighalo did not travel with the rest of the United squad to their training camp in Marbella during the winter break, over fears border restrictions could tighten, and he would be unable to return to the UK.

On top of that, United made the decision to bar Ighalo from the AON Training Complex, while he is still within the 14-day incubation period.

The measures are purely precautionary with the striker not travelling from Wuhan, the Chinese province where coronavirus started.

On Ighalo’s absence from the training camp, Solskjaer said: “Odion will stay in Manchester, because since he has come from China in the last 14 days, the news of the virus there means we're not sure if he's going to be allowed back into England if he leaves the country again.

“So he's staying here working with a personal coach on an individual programme and his family then can settle in England as well. That's a plus.

“Of course, he might have liked to have come with the players and got to know them, but we don’t want to take that risk [of potential border restrictions tightening].”

Ighalo has been working on a tailored training programme at the GB Taekwondo Centre in Manchester instead.

Performance coach Wayne Richardson has been putting the striker through his paces before United return to action on Monday in a crunch clash against Chelsea in the Premier League.

Nigeria international Ighalo is expected to be in the 18-man squad for the game at Stamford Bridge.

Solskjaer said: “Yeah, he is going to travel with us.

“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.”

United are currently six points behind Chelsea who occupy the final Champions League qualifying place.

The Red Devils know defeat to Frank Lampard's side would all but end their hopes of a top four place.



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