Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fears Marcus Rashford will miss the FA Cup quarter-final at Leicester as the Manchester United manager sweats on the fitness of Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial.
Second in the Premier League takes on third on Sunday, just days after the Red Devils impressively sealed progress to the Europa League quarter-finals by beating AC Milan 1-0 at San Siro.
Paul Pogba scored the winner having been brought on at half-time for Rashford, who complained of what Solskjaer called a “little twinge that we couldn’t take a risk with”.
The 23-year-old missed the 1-1 first-leg draw with an ankle injury, while Cavani has been absent for a fortnight with an issue that flared up in training just before the side flew to Italy on Wednesday.
“With Marcus I don’t really know,” Solskjaer said. “I can’t say. (It is) most unlikely that he’ll be fit, but I hope so. We haven’t really got to the bottom of it.
“But with Edinson, he’s worked really hard and he’s joined in training sessions.
“Towards the end of the session he really needs to top it up and feel 100 per cent ready for the game and he hasn’t really got there yet.
“It’s down to him. He wants to be 100 per cent when he joins in. He doesn’t want to feel (like he’s) come in and look off the pace.
“Hopefully he can be ready for Sunday but I’m not sure either because after the training yesterday he felt something that he couldn’t travel with us.”
Martial was forced off at half-time of the last-16 first leg against Milan and is also a doubt for Sunday, despite being called up by the France squad on Thursday.
“Not concerned at all,” Solskjaer said about his international call-up. “I just want Anthony fit and the same with Paul.
The 26 Bleus called up for the World Cup 2022 qualifiers! 🇫🇷 #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/YJTPnnR5R5
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) March 18, 2021
Advertisement
“We just want them to go and play because they’ve missed too many games.
“This was a hip injury he got against AC Milan a week ago, Anthony. We hoped he’d be ready for West Ham then he couldn’t make that one.
“Then he was close to get fit for this one, he couldn’t make it. Hopefully he’ll make Sunday.
“I’m not sure because it’s not reacted how we hoped but he’s working really hard to get the treatment in the pool and all the bike work and everything to get ready and that’s the pleasing thing that he’s desperate to come back.
“I think it’ll just benefit him if he’s fit enough to go with France and play.”
Martial is joined in the France squad by Pogba, who impressed off the bench in Italy but left Solskjaer saying he “looked like he’d been out for six weeks”.
The Norwegian knows “he’ll get better and better” but said “we’ll have to see how much Paul can play” at the King Power Stadium.
“I don’t think he can last 90 minutes,” Solskjaer added. “I’m not sure if he can start, but you can see the impact he can make if he comes on as a sub.
“If he feels OK, maybe we can start him as well.
“We have to see who the runners and riders are after tonight of course because it’s been a long travel, we’ll be late back.
“We’ll see. I hope he’s ready to start.”
