Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Odion Ighalo Will Be in Manchester United Squad at Chelsea

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed January signing Odion Ighalo will be part of the Premier League squad that travels to Chelsea on Monday and could make his Manchester United debut at Stamford Bridge. 

Ighalo, 30, completed a deadline-day loan move to United from Shanghai Shenhua. He didn't join his new squad for warm-weather training in Marbella, Spain, this week over fears his possible exposure to the coronavirus crisis in China could prevent him from returning to England, per BBC Sport's Simon Stone.

The striker will be called upon for the trip to Chelsea, however, after Solskjaer said: "Yeah, he is going to travel with us. We will just see his fitness work this week and I think we will get him sharp. We want to integrate him as quickly as we can because, of course, he is desperate to play for us."

Ighalo has been candid about his longstanding support for the Red Devils, revealing in his first interview with the club that he accepted a pay cut to complete the transfer:

James Ducker of the Telegraph wrote in mid-January that United frontman Marcus Rashford faces three months out of action after he suffered a double stress fracture in his back. He also required non-intrusive surgery to remove a bone fragment from his ankle.

His absence left Solskjaer low on alternative options up front following the summer sale of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan, pushing United to seal a last-ditch move for Ighalo.

United's new arrival was in the middle of China's offseason when he received the call, but he's been training separately from the squad in an effort to swiftly reach full match fitness:

The former Nigeria international could make his second Premier League debut after leaving Watford in 2017. He scored against Everton in his top-flight debut for the Hornets (a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park) and will look to mimic that feat with his new English employers.

Ighalo has faced Chelsea on four occasions and scored against the Blues during their first Premier League meeting, bagging Watford's second in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in December 2015.

It was during that 2015-16 campaign that Ighalo netted 15 of his 16 Premier League goals to date, via Sky Sports (UK only):

Another January signing, Bruno Fernandes, made his United debut in the 0-0 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers before the mid-season break.

The Red Devils are eighth in England's top flight ahead of Week 26, but Solskjaer's men can climb to within three points of Chelsea—currently fourth—if they win in west London.