Ighalo Unable To Join United Training In Spain Over Coronavirus Travel Restriction Fears

Odion Ighalo won’t be joining the rest of his Manchester United teammates at their warm weather training in Spain due to travel restrictions closely associated with the coronavirus outbreak.

United fear that the Nigerian would now be allowed back into England because of travel restrictions placed on individuals who have been to China in recent weeks, with the striker having featured for Chinese outfit, Shanghai Shenhua before the move to England.

According to a report by the Guardian, the death toll since the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 724.

As the virus has continued to spread globally, several countries have placed limitations on trips to and from China, potentially causing some difficulties for Ighalo who joined the Old Trafford folks on loan till the end of the campaign.

“Odion will stay in Manchester, because he arrived from China in the last 14 days,” Solskjaer told MUTV.

“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 [of potential border restrictions tightening]… we don’t want to take that.”

The Red devils return from their break in Spain to take on Chelsea on February 17, before prepping ahead for their Europa league clash against Club Brugge.

Solskjaer sees the warm weather training as a good opportunity to recuperate ahead of a tight set of fixtures.

“Of course, we come back and we kick on. We want to get results,” the Norwegian gaffer added.

“Towards the end now, before this break, we played okay and didn’t concede too many goals. But we didn’t create chances and missed that little bit of spark, I felt. Maybe because of the mental tiredness.

“Physically, they did really well in every aspects of the games but mentally, now, we kick on.”

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