Chris Smalling believes Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood could become more involved in the Manchester United squad as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer plans for the next fortnight without Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard.

Solskjaer said Martial (groin) and Lingard (hamstring) would be sidelined for two to three weeks after they were forced off in the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Chong, 19, and Angel Gomes, 18, have been training with the first-team in anticipation of a squad berth at Chelsea in Monday night's FA Cup fifth round but 17-year-old striker Greenwood is out for two weeks with an unspecified injury.

Solskjaer included Chong in his travelling squad for the Premier League stroll at Fulham but omitted the Dutchman from the matchday 18. Smalling feels Chong could soon be a regular inclusion in first-team squads.

"I don't think it'll be long until they are," Smalling told the MEN. "Chongy has been travelling, he travelled for the last few games. Mason as well, scoring goals for fun, I don't think it'll be very long before they are involved.

"We'll probably see them in maybe the odd game, especially in pre-season. It's a good opportunity for these young ones to come through."

"They have been two key players," Smalling added of Lingard and Martial. "Jesse’s energy, he gets around the pitch and creates a lot of movement. Anthony is in his best form.

"We do have a good squad that can fill in, but they would be a big miss."

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Smalling watched Chelsea's 6-0 drubbing at Manchester City, where Solskjaer was in attendance with first-team coach Kieran McKenna last week. Chelsea won their Europa League round-of-32 first leg at Malmo on Thursday but, with the City shellacking still current, Smalling is wary of the FA Cup holders' need to react.

"I think a wounded animal can be a dangerous opposition, but we just lost a game as well," Smalling added. "So they'll be wary of that, as well.

"I was watching it [against City]. Was it a 6-0 game? I don't know. But they were clinical. And we'll watch that game, dissect it and see where we can hurt them."