Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking forward to having Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku available for Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested Alexis Sanchez is close to full fitness and could return alongside Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku when Manchester United face Bournemouth on Sunday.
Sanchez has been out with a hamstring injury since November 24 and has yet to be in the matchday squad under caretaker manager Solskjaer.
Martial impressed in the 5-1 win at Cardiff City last week but missed the 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town on Wednesday due to illness, while Lukaku was given time off and was not involved in either match.
But Solskjaer says Sanchez is almost ready to return and is excited by the prospect of having all three attackers to choose from in situations when United need to kill a game off.
After the win over Huddersfield, he said: “Fantastic result. I’m delighted with three points. Some of the football was really, really good as well. You can’t ask for more. Well, I can ask for more: I can ask for a clean sheet, the boys have promised me that soon!
“You don’t in one week change anything. You change the mindset. I want my team to play in a certain way and you give them little pointers here and there. It’s a work in progress: it’s going to take time for players to go from one manager and what he wanted. We’ll improve as time goes on.
“I said to the staff towards the end: When you go 2-0 up, maybe 3-0 up, next week we’ll have Sanchez, Martial back, you’ve got Lukaku to put on, I think we could have really finished them off then.”
Solskjaer’s first home game in charge ended in a win thanks to a Nemanja Matic goal and two second-half strikes from Paul Pogba.
The former United forward hopes Pogba took plenty of enjoyment from his performance during what he described as a “humbling” occasion.
“I’m spending time with the players and trying to get as much time with each individual as possible,” Solskjaer said.
“Last time, he [Pogba] created two or three goals; this time, he scores two himself. I think he’s enjoyed tonight.
“I was surprisingly calm. When you trust the team you put out and you just focus on the game, you’re not that tense. It’s special walking out there, seeing the crowd singing my song. It’s humbling, it makes you really proud.”