Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has three problems ahead of Chelsea FA Cup showdown
MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has three problems ahead of tonight’s FA Cup showdown with Chelsea. Express Sport delves into the issues the 45-year-old must overcome.
Manchester United were dealt a hammer blow when Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard limped out of the 2-0 defeat to PSG on Tuesday.
And now, Solskjaer must get their replacements right ahead of the biggest game of his United tenure so far.
Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata toiled against PSG when they came on, but could be thrown into the mix.
Solskjaer could even go for Romelu Lukaku, who sat out the majority of the PSG match on the bench.
Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes are also in line to feature, so Solskjaer has plenty of options - despite his two best players being out.
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes his side to Chelsea in the FA Cup (Image: GETTY)
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must decide on Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard replacements (Image: GETTY)
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Does he stick with Lindelof and Bailly?
Another problem for Solskjaer concerns his defence.
Against PSG United were hopelessly exposed with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly both struggling to handle Kylian Mbappe.
So, does he stick or twist?
Lindelof can expect to start given his fine form in recent months, but Phil Jones or Chris Smalling may be deployed alongside him.
Bailly has talent but the PSG match suggests he may need time to work on other aspects of his game.
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Man Utd need to decide between Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof (Image: GETTY)
The Chelsea curse
Another problem Solskjaer must overcome is the Chelsea curse.
United, for the most part, have left Stamford Bridge with nothing. In Ferguson’s final season in charge, it was Chelsea who ended the Scot’s hopes of an FA Cup swansong.
The Red Devils’ last win in west London came back in 2012.
In the time since, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes and Jose Mourinho all experienced defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
Therefore, Solskjaer must get his side to overcome any psychological issues on the day.