Ighalo: I can’t wait for EPL restart

Odion Ighalo says Manchester United are ready to hit the ground running and take up where they left off but the Nigerian declared that he cannot wait to get to action when the English Premier League (EPL) kicks off.

“I can’t wait for the league to start again. I’m really looking forward to it,” Ighalo said.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were on an 11-game unbeaten run when football was suspended on March 13, a sequence that included nine wins.

United already have experience of playing behind closed doors, in their 5-0 Europa League win away to Austrian side LASK Linz, played the day before football shut down.

Ighalo, who has extended his loan spell until January 2021, believes United, in the hunt for a top-four place and FA Cup and Europa League glory are in perfect shape ahead of the restart.

“I’m getting better and better every day,” said Ighalo.

“I’m still working every day and we’ve been training together the past two weeks now, so it’s getting close to the game.

“The sharpness is coming, the fitness is coming and everything is going well. It’s been strange, you know, because you have to stay two metres apart to talk to your team-mates.

“Sometimes, you need to get close to give them some signs but now it’s two metres and it’s kind of strange.

“But this is what we have to do for us to be safe and for the game to go on. We’re ready to do it and we’re happy to do it.”

Reflecting on United’s last game before the lockdown, Ighalo reckons the experience of having already played behind closed doors will be an advantage for Solskjaer’s players.

“It was strange, you know, but it’s okay,” Ighalo told MUTV.