Coronavirus delays Odion Ighalo Manchester United debut as striker stopped from travelling with the squad

Odion Ighalo has been ruled automatically ruled out of making his debut against Chelsea after his failure to travel with the squad to their training camp in Spain.

Odion Ighalo will stay in Manchester due to potential changes to border restrictions on people arriving into UK who’ve recently been in China

Striker Ighalo arrived in Manchester last week after joining United on loan until the end of the season from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on Deadline Day.

The coronavirus has claimed 722 lives and restrictions could be placed on travellers who have been in mainland China within the past fortnight.

It means Ighalo will remain in Manchester on a personal training and fitness programme while his team-mates enjoy their winter break in Spain on a warm-weather training camp.

“Odion will stay in Manchester, because he arrived from China in the last 14 days,” United manager Ole Gunnar 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.

“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.”

“Hopefully he can join in the training sessions and Axel as well, he’ll join in, so that’s two positives and it’s a good chance for them to use this time with the players.”

Since he wouldn’t be part of the training camp it is safe to say he wouldn’t be part of the matxhday squad when United travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.