Sanchez ‘worried’ about losing his spark
Alexis Sanchez is concerned Red Devils fans may not have seen him at his best at Old Trafford as he continues to fight for an extended run of playing time this season.
The Chilean forward is a shadow of the player he was at Arsenal, having scored just five goals in 37 appearances since moving to United in January 2018.
"(Caretaker United manager Ole Gunnar) Solskjaer hasn't spoken to me a great deal about what I have to do on the pitch, but I think I'm an experienced player and I think I know what I need to do and what I shouldn't do," Sanchez told the BBC ahead of his side's FA Cup fifth-round clash with Chelsea tomorrow morning (Singapore time).
"I'm a player that, if I'm not in contact with the ball, I lose that spark, and sometimes I want to play in every game.
"You're in, you're out, and I'm used to playing.
"It's not an excuse because if I go on for 10, 20 minutes, I have to perform because that's what I'm here for, to make a difference.
"I would like to have brought more joy to the club.
"Yes, it worries me because I believe in my abilities as a player, I want to show it."
After struggling for form and fitness under former manager Jose Mourinho, Sanchez has fallen further down the pecking order under Solskjaer.
The 30-year-old is behind Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial in contention for first-team spots and did his chances no good after an underwhelming display as a substitute in last week's 2-0 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, reported Reuters.
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson summed up Sanchez's struggles, saying on Sky Sports: "I hope we see the old Sanchez, but I don't see the confidence or the hunger in his eyes any more".
Former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino, meanwhile, told talkSPORT: "Alexis Sanchez really worries me. Alexis has been missing for 18 months as a player since the final year of his contract at Arsenal.
"The summer before last, what happened to him with Chile and the manager, questions were being raised about him, his fitness and condition and the temperament of this particular player...
"I'd certainly question his appetite for the game at the moment. He's missed a lot of games through injury."
Solskjaer will likely have to rely on Sanchez against Chelsea, after confirming Lingard and Martial will be "out for two-to-three weeks" after the pair suffered injuries against PSG.
However, he suggested that youngsters Angel Gomes, 18, and Tahith Chong, 19, are also in contention.
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