Manchester United’s on-loan striker Odion Ighalo has admitted that the return to training grounds and the build-up to the resumption of the 2019-20 season of the English Premier League has been strange due to the conditions imposed as a part of the Project Restart.
As per Project Restart, players have been directed to strictly adhere to the health guidelines and the social distancing measures while training. Once the league resumes the matches will be played without spectators as a measure to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 and Ighalo said the players were happy to follow all the protocols.
“I’m getting better and better every day,” the Nigerian said as quoted on the official website of Manchester United. “I’m still working every day and we have 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 are ready to do it and we’re happy to do it.
Ighalo scored in the last game before the lockdown – the 5-0 win at LASK – and feels the experience of already having played behind closed doors may help when the Premier League resumes.
“It was strange, you know, but it’s okay,” he said. “We know there is nothing we can do now but play behind closed doors and we’re happy to do it.
“In the game against LASK, it was strange because you could hear everything when your team-mates shouted. In a normal game, you can’t hear, but it was clear and loud. It’s a bit strange without fans, and difficult, but we have to be safe so we have to do it.”
Meanwhile, Ighalo’s stay at the Old Trafford was prolonged after the English Premier League giants reached an agreement with Shanghai Greenland Shenhua to extend his loan deal this week.