Manchester United used all of their substitutions in the first half due to injury but were still able to fend off a toothless Liverpool side.
MANCHESTER, England — Romelu Lukaku has said he is ready to help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer through Manchester United’s injury crisis.
United lost Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard to hamstring injuries during the first half of the goalless home draw with Liverpool on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford suffered an ankle injury after a heavy challenge from Jordan Henderson, while Anthony Martial and Nemanja Matic are sidelined with groin problems.
It means Solskjaer is set to take a threadbare squad to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, but the caretaker manager’s headache gives striker Lukaku the chance to stake a claim for a regular place.
“As long as the manager wants to use me, I will do my best to help the team out,” the Belgium international said.
“We have a number of injuries. We have to stay positive. We are Manchester United, and you have to go wherever we go and win.
“Roy Hodgson will set up his Palace team really well. We know that. We will prepare and we need to recover properly because it [Liverpool] was a physical game.
“Tactically and with our preparations, we will be ready to go again.”
Solskjaer said after the draw with Liverpool that United had played with “10-and-a-half” men after Rashford’s early injury meant the 21-year-old had to limp through the 90 minutes.
To compensate, Solskjaer asked Lukaku to play on the right in the second half, and the centre-forward said he would be happy to play in an unfamiliar role at Selhurst Park if necessary.
“Left or right or up front, it doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “Playing for this club is an honour and I just try to do my best, whichever position I play in.
“If it is on the right then I will try to create chances, which I did against Liverpool, and if it is up front then I will try to score goals. At the end of the day, I just try and help my teammates out and try win matches.”
The Old Trafford stalemate prevented Liverpool from going three points clear at the top of the Premier League, but former Everton player Lukaku said that had not been his main motivation.
“Me and Liverpool, not really, but at the end of the day we wanted to win for ourselves and the badge,” he said.
“We have our job to be in the top four and we have to remain positive. We don’t give up.”
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