Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has downplayed the importance of Manchester United’s shot at going top against Burnley, where Paul Pogba, Victor Lindelof, and Luke Shaw could be missing through injury.
Having followed up defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals by beating Watford in the FA Cup third round, attention returns to the Premier League ahead of a key double-header.
United will usurp Liverpool at the summit if they get a positive result at Burnley tonight, which would add extra fuel to next Sunday’s mouth-watering trip to their bitter rivals at Anfield.
“We’re not even halfway through the season yet,” Solskjaer said.
“Every game in the Premier League is a challenge, is a test. Every game gives you a different test.
“Watford, they gave us a test. Burnley is one test, Liverpool is another, then you go to Fulham, which is a different test again.
“No-one will remember how the league table looked like on the 12th of January in 2021.”
Solskjaer has understandably downplayed talk of a title challenge when it has been brought up, but the United boss appreciates building fan excitement ahead of a big week.
“I think it’s great that our fans are excited and that they’re happy with where we are at and that we have this little sense of excitement,” the Norwegian said.
“But then we’re not even halfway through the season so of course every game against Burnley, or every game against Liverpool matters a lot anyway.
“For me, all my eyes are on Tuesday and then let’s see where we’re at after that one.”
However, Solskjaer says there is no chance his players can think they have “cracked it” if United go top tonight.
“We have to be aggressive,” said the Norwegian, who was part of six Premier League-winning sides during his time as a player at Old Trafford.
“We have to go into every game humble, work hard, don’t even think for one second that you’ve cracked it if you are near the top because that’s not the type of players we have.
“We have players who should play on the front foot, aggressive, work hard and be hard to play against no matter what.
“But of course the group mentality is improving all the time so now it’s a different challenge, it’s Burnley away and we’re in this position.
“It doesn’t matter where we end up in the league as long as we focus on this game and this game only.”
The trip to Burnley will finally see United play the game in hand that has been hanging over them all season after their opener was pushed back to give them time to recover from August’s Europa League finals.
“With the results that we got in the beginning as well, it made it more difficult for the players maybe,” Solskjaer said.
“It made it easier for people to criticise us, look at the table, maybe worry a little bit.
“So of course a game in hand is only good if you win it. You need to win that one to put those points on the board.
“But with a difficult start against Palace and Tottenham, of course I think it made it harder mentally for the players maybe to look at the table because even if you don’t look at the table people keep talking at you, keep talking away about your positioning.”
United will be boosted tonight by the return of Edinson Cavani after his three-match ban.
Solskjaer said: “Edinson has trained well when he’s been banned. He’s had a couple of days off, of course, as well — you can’t train too much.
“But he’s ready to go, he gives us a different option. He’s a different type of striker or forward than Mason (Greenwood), Anthony (Martial) and Marcus (Rashford), so I’m glad to have him back. That’s why we brought him in.
“He’s contributed really well so far and I’m sure he’ll be really important for us now until the end of the season. We feel the season starts tomorrow night.”
United will also be juggling Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League exertions over the coming months but Solskjaer is not expecting any more new faces, having wrapped up a deal for Atalanta teenager Amad Diallo.
“I think that the signings we made in the summer strengthened the squad really well,” the Norwegian said. “Good signings, good characters, good players.
“January’s always difficult but if something comes up that you think about in the long term, it’s a long-term target anyway, that’s another scenario.
“But not many teams would like to lose their players in January, so unlikely something will happen on the in side.
“There might be two or three going out because they deserve to play more football for their own good and their own career.”
Eric Bailly will need to be assessed ahead of the trip to Turf Moor after taking a blow to the back of his head towards the first half against Watford.
Pogba, Lindelof, and Shaw are also doubts heading into the Burnley match after missing Saturday’s FA Cup third round match through injury.
“I hope so, I hope all of them for Liverpool, definitely,” Solskjaer said. “I’m not sure if they’ll make the Burnley one.”
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