Solskjaer states United are fitter than ever

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is unconcerned by Manchester United’s challenging run of four away fixtures in 10 days, after watching his increasingly-fit players outrun Liverpool at Old Trafford last Sunday.

The Reds are currently preparing for consecutive away matches against Partizan Belgrade, Norwich City, Chelsea and Bournemouth, which represents an obvious physical challenge.

Improving the squad’s physical robustness has been a priority of Solskjaer’s since he returned to the club as manager last season and part of his pre-season work in the summer focused on that area.

As Ole explained during our exclusive interview in Belgrade, Serbia, on Wednesday evening, he was delighted to see that his players statistically covered more distance than a Liverpool side that has become extremely well-known for adopting a relentless, all-action style of play.

Opta data shows United ran just under two kilometres more than the Merseysiders at the Theatre of Dreams and Solskjaer does not believe that would have been possible in the last campaign.

Speaking to us about the upcoming fixture list and the challenge it represents, the manager said: “It’s going to be tough for the boys but they’ve got to be mentally and physically ready for this.

“We’ve trained hard and we’re fitter than we’ve ever been. In the Liverpool game we outran them and I don’t think anyone would have thought that about us last season.

"“The boys have got a different engine now and that was a big, big plus when you looked at how fit we were and how far we ran on Sunday. That was a big bonus to me and I think it’s going to take us through the next six games before the next international break.”"