Odion Ighalo will not join the rest of the Manchester United squad on a warm-weather training camp in the south of Spain over the coming days due to the club’s concerns over border regulations relating to the spread of coronavirus.
The Nigerian striker, 30, who joined United on transfer deadline day from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, will instead stay in Manchester to work on a personal training and fitness programme.
United are wary of a potential change in rules which could see border restrictions tighten on travellers who have been in China – where the virus originated – within the past 14 days, and do not want to risk complications on return from Spain next week.
“Odion will stay in Manchester, because he arrived from China in the last 14 days,“ said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. ”Because of the situation in China, we’re not sure if he’d be allowed back into England if he leaves the country again, so he’s staying here working with a personal coach, 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 the risk, we don’t want to take that.”
Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford remain absent and will not be travelling, but United have been boosted by the returns of midfielder Scott McTominay and defender Axel Tuanzebe.
“Scotty has done better in his recovery than we thought, so we will take him with us,” Solskjaer said. “Hopefully he can join in the training sessions and Axel as well, he’ll join in, so that’s two positives and it’s a good chance for them to use this time with the players.”
United’s next game is at Chelsea on Monday 17 February, before travelling to Belgium to take on Club Brugge in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-32 tie.
