Man United might have only beaten Derby in the FA Cup on Thursday but focus has already shifted to their upcoming Manchester derby. With the Red Devils gearing up to host Man City this weekend, Solskjaer is hoping to have three key players back in time for that clash.
They are none other than Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissake, and Daniel James. The defensive pair and young attacker are doubts for Sunday’s clash but Ole offered optimism after their FA Cup 5th round victory.
Maguire, who was named club captain after the departure of Ashley Young, missed out on the 3-0 win over Derby. The world’s most expensive defender twisted his ankle during training, forcing him to sit out Thursday’s game, but the manager left the door open on his chances of playing against Guardiola’s side.
“Well it's touch and go because he rolled his ankle and he twisted it, but hopefully he'll recover quickly. I wasn't going to rest him today (against Derby) so I didn't give him a day off birthday-wise, but I hope he'll be fit,” Solskjaer said, as per the Daily Mail.
The former Leicester ace isn’t Ole’s only defensive concern as Wan-Bissaka is a doubt as well. The Englishman picked up a sore back during the 1-1 draw with Everton and was thus ruled out of the midweek game. The jury is still out on whether he can recover in time for the Manchester Derby, which is also true of Daniel James, who has missed Man United’s last two games after picking up an injury against Club Brugge.
“I hope so but none of them have been training yet since the last game. We've got to look at them Saturday probably. Friday is the recovery day,” Ole said when asked if Aaron and Dan would be available.
After bursting onto the scene for the Red Devils at the beginning of the season, James has seen his displays drop as of late. Despite this, having the young Welshman at his disposal would be immensely beneficial for Solskjaer given that his pace could have anyone worried.
As for the aforementioned center-back and full-back, they were the club’s marquee signings over the summer and while they haven’t been perfect all season, their presence has been crucial and will be just that come Sunday’s derby.
