Although he missed Manchester United’s epic 5-1 opening day win over Leeds United in their first fixture of the 2021/22 season because of testing positive for coronavirus, Jesse Lingard is still going to find it hard to break into the United XI even when he’s fully fit.
The attacking midfielder was persuaded to head back to the Old Trafford outfit after having a great half season on loan at West Ham, helping to fire them into the Europa League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appeared keen to accentuate the positives at the time, but given the way United are playing already, it’s difficult to see how the Norwegian can keep the promise he made to the England international.
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With West Ham able, and willing, to offer him a starting berth every week, Lingard has a decision to make.
David Moyes has previously spoken of the difficulty of acquiring the player permanently, but in a recent interview, he left the door open for the Hammers.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better loan. I’ll always support West Ham. They’ll stay in my heart and I’ll retain that bond with them,” he told Jamie Redknapp in the Daily Mail.
“I’m not going to rush into anything. What comes will come. I feel like I’m in the driving seat. I’m happy.”