Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has indicated that Mason Greenwood can replace Romelu Lukaku in his Manchester United squad.
After a much protracted transfer-saga, Lukaku left Old Trafford following two seasons at the club, moving to Italian giants Inter Milan in a £73m deal on deadline day.
United had been linked with a host of forwards as potential replacements for the 26-year-old Belgian, though Solskjaer says Lukaku’s departure can aid emerging teenager Greenwood’s pathway to the first-team.
The 17-year-old shone during the club’s pre-season tour, scoring against both Leeds and Inter Milan, and Solskjaer is confident the highly-rated youngster can make an impact when given his opportunity this season.
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“Towards the end of last season, we didn’t score a lot of goals, did we?” Solskjaer said in his pre-match press conference.
“We do have players that you think are going to make an impact.
“Mason Greenwood’s pathway would have been a lot more difficult if we had another forward there, so for me, I believe that Mason’s going to be playing and involved a lot, and when he is, he’ll score goals.”
Solskjaer has previously suggested that Greenwood could be including in Sunday’s starting lineup for their Premier League opener against Chelsea.
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See also – Analysis: Is Mason Greenwood really ready for Manchester United’s first-team?