• Manager lays on the line his standards for forwards • Forty goals between them would still not be ‘top, top-class’

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has said that even if Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial were to improve their Premier League goal return to one every two games for Manchester United this would still not be “top, top class”.

United have spurned chances in a run of uneven form in which they have drawn twice and lost once since the opening 4-0 win over Chelsea. Rashford and Martial, who is injured, have each scored twice this season. The former has 29 league goals in 115 appearances, the latter 36 in 116 for the club.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær and the credibility conundrum at Manchester United Read more

United host Leicester City on Saturday. Solskjær was asked what ratio Rashford and Martial needed. “You have 38 [league] games, so if you can have 19 goals [each] as a partnership, with those two, so around 40 goals, that’s OK, but it’s not top, top class,” said the manager. “At the moment, Dan [James] has got three, Marcus and Anthony have got two each, and that’s in our four games, and Anthony only played three of them, so he’s improving.

“[To become better] it’s anticipation, knowing which position you’re in, because the quality is there, definitely, and we’re learning where to run, when to run, how to run, and the last finish, they’ve go to do, of course.

“They’re practising all the time and hopefully we can see Dan and Marcus getting goals this week, and Anthony can come next week.”