Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes a fit Eric Bailly could be the answer to Manchester United’s defensive collapse.
The Reds started the new campaign with a disastrous 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace last week in which defenders Harry Maguire and, in particular, Victor Lindelof looked way off the pace.
But Bailly has returned to full fitness after an injury-ravaged season in which he started just one Premier League game.
The Ivory Coast international played the full 90 minutes in the midweek Carabao Cup win at Luton and is in contention for Saturday’s trip to Brighton.
And, Solskjaer claims, that Bailly has the chance to prove he should be captain Maguire’s regular partner.
He said: “Eric is fit again now, which is a big bonus and a big plus for us and I’m looking forward to seeing him develop and playing more games this season because we’ve been waiting for him to first be fit and then playing more regularly.
“The players who play and the team who plays, when you find a team that gels together, it’s easier to keep that team for a while.
“We saw after restart, I can’t remember how many times we started with the same XI, but that was the team that found their feet and form.
“But I am not going to take anything away from any individual to stake a claim and be a regular.
“It could be a partnership of any two strikers, any two midfielders, any two centre-backs, wingers, we need to get some consistency in their performances.”
Lindelof’s performance in the Palace defeat was particularly alarming although his manager was keen not to apportion blame after the morale-sapping loss.
And, even though the Maguire-Lindelof pairing was also exposed at times last season, Solskjaer was still sticking by his players yesterday.
He said: “I think last season proved to us how we can defend at our best. Yes, last week wasn’t fantastic.
“We conceded sloppy goals but I think our defensive record from last season showed with Vic and Harry how good a partnership they were. But also the whole team defending as a team.”
One other defensive issue Solskjaer has to resolve is the status of Chris Smalling, who spent last season on loan at Roma and wishes to return their permanently.
United may be pricing the former England defender out of the move with an £18m asking price and Solskjaer admitted his future is uncertain.
He said: “Different things need to happen, then. So let’s wait and see if there’s that change, let’s see what happens if and when the transfer window closes and what happens to Chris.”
Solskjaer, meanwhile, admits the current Covid crisis has forced him to put on hold his original plan to give players “holidays” during the season in which they can enjoy rest from the current hectic schedule.
And with international commitments adding to players’ workload, Solskjaer is concerned about players’ physical and mental wellbeing.
He said: “The world has got to change for them to be able to travel and get holidays as well, so for now that’s not an issue.
“So everyone is here and available. If you travel away you could be quarantined and suddenly you lose your form, so of course I can’t think about that now, holidays.
“International managers have the right to pick who they want in the squad and if we play as well as we hope we do and we get many players away on internationals, that’s a good thing.
“Then again this season is not an easy one for players, it’s going to be physically and mentally draining.
“So it’s important that both me and the international managers think about the players’ fitness and welfare because we need to do well in the season but they also have the Euros at the end.”
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