Romelu Lukaku has been left out of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United revolution... but with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial out he has the ultimate chance against Chelsea
- Chelsea host Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday night
- Romelu Lukaku is set to start for United against his old club at Stamford Bridge
- It's a rare chance to start due to Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial's injuries
- Lukaku has started just 21 per cent of games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
As the famous saying goes, everyone has a plan until someone punches you on the nose.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his resurgent Manchester United, that punch came in the form of a quick one-two from Parisian visitors on Tuesday night.
The plan, since the caretaker replaced the head teacher, was quite simple. Release the shackles and utilise the frightening pace that already existed within the ranks. It has meant plenty of game time for the likes of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford in a two-month period under Solskjaer which has seen United fans rise from a bored slump to the edge of their seats.
Romelu Lukaku will get a chance to showcase his talents to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Monday
He'll start in the FA Cup fifth round against Chelsea - in a rare opportunity under Solskjaer
The Belgian's style of play doesn't suit Solskjaer, who has opted for mobility over brawn
However, while PSG's dismantling of a suddenly one-dimensional home side at a stunned Old Trafford looks to have closed the Champions League gate, it may well have opened the door of opportunity for one man who will be keener than most to impress against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Monday night.
Step forward Romelu Lukaku. The robust Belgian has had the blues under the Norwegian. Make no mistake, Lukaku is a Jose Mourinho man. His ability to hold up the ball, his presence and his physical dominance are all traits cherished by the Portuguese which are no longer a commodity in high demand in the M16 area.
Solskjaer is schooled in the Sir Alex Ferguson era of Manchester United. When presented with two youth products with touch and pace to burn and a £75m import, it comes as no surprise that he continually opts for the local lads. The United teams he was part of were full of pace and ingenuity, rather than brawn and bluster.
While Lingard and Rashford have flourished, Lukaku has been the victim. Six minutes off the bench at the end of Tuesday's schooling illustrated the fact - as do the statistics.
Under Mourinho, Lukaku started 81 per cent of matches while under his replacement that figure stands at 21 per cent.
Under Solskjaer (right), the Belgian forward has started just 21 per cent of matches
Marcus Rashford (left) has been chosen ahead of Lukaku and has flourished up front since
Lukaku will be given a chance on Monday due to Jesse Lingard's injury picked up against PSG
Anthony Martial (right) is another who will miss the match for United due to injury
However, PSG's bubble bursting and the arrival of another FA Cup match present an opportunity. A start on his old stomping ground for Lukaku would come as no surprise, especially with Lingard and Anthony Martial both ruled out through injury.
The 25-year-old has started just four times for United since Solskjaer's arrival and two of those have come in the FA Cup, where the temporary manager looks to rotate. He will do so again, considering that the next few weeks see fixtures against Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal and Manchester City. If it arrives, it will be a chance Lukaku will need to grasp.
Against Burnley he was substituted after 66 minutes with United chasing the game. At Arsenal, the end came on 72 minutes. While United were 2-1 up, had it not been for the brilliance of David de Gea, Lukaku's only goal would have gone in at the wrong end. This should not sound like an assassination of the striker. He is a player who has repeatedly excelled at what he does. Lest we forget, following his arrival at United he scored 11 in 10. In his debut season, Lukaku netted 27 times.
But he is also a man who does not appear to fit with what Solskjaer wants. Lumping it up front is not part of the blueprint - just ask Marouane Fellaini about that. Whether that may change given what happened on Tuesday remains to be seen. It may have to. Solskjaer has benefited from a relatively gentle schedule and now it is about to get tougher. Maybe he will shake things up a little. Maybe aggression is needed to frighten the big sides.
However, if his manager remains faithful to his principles, Lukaku will have to try and adapt. It can be done - as Sergio Aguero has demonstrated under Pep Guardiola across town. The Spaniard wanted a big improvement in the Argentine's all-round game and it has arrived. Whether Lukaku can similarly evolve remains to be seen. It will be a tough ask. Should Solskjaer get the nod in the summer, he will have to.
Lukaku should look to the example of Sergio Aguero who has evolved his game at Man City
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