Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Talks Manchester United Injuries, Jesse Lingard Form

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will leave it late to see who is available to face Manchester City in the first leg of their Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday. 

Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Luke Shaw were absent from Saturday's 0-0 FA Cup draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers because of illness, while several players missed it through injury and Harry Maguire suffered a knock.

Solskjaer said: "[We're] gonna give them as much time as we can. That's the most correct and honest answer I can give, some of them are still not ready. If it was a game today not sure they could perform at their best but another 36 hours until I give them the team."

Solskjaer had earlier told MUTV (h/t Duncker) that United "hope that everyone is going to be available, but we don't know, because some recover quicker from illnesses than others."

Despite the uncertainty, the manager was still confident the Red Devils will "put a strong team out."

He will likewise expect a strong lineup from City, who were able to rest some of their first-team stars as they beat League Two side Port Vale 4-1 in the FA Cup on Saturday.

United beat their local rivals 2-1 when they met early in December. Solskjaer's side had also beaten Tottenham Hotspur just days before, but they lost to Arsenal on New Year's Day.

The Norwegian is hoping his team can raise their game again with the possibility of silverware on the line:

United won the League Cup in 2017, one of the three major honours they've lifted since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 along with the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League. City have won four of the last six League Cups, though.

Solskjaer was also asked about Jesse Lingard, per The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell:

"I do speak to players about how they portray themselves," he added, per ESPN's Rob Dawson. "I don't have these social media things but it's a different generation." 

Lingard did not manage to score or assist a single goal in the Premier League in 2019. This season, he has scored once against Astana in the Europa League and crafted one assist against Rochdale in the Carabao Cup.

United could use a performance from him if he's able to play on Tuesday, but with his contract expiring in 2021, he's also playing for his own future at Old Trafford, as it will be difficult to justify keeping him beyond the summer if he remains so unproductive.