Romelu Lukaku and Manchester United must play to striker's strengths to build on 'brilliant' season, says Andy Cole

Lukaku has scored 27 goals in all competitions during his debut year at Old Trafford

Romelu Lukaku is a doubt for Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea (Getty)

Romelu Lukaku and Manchester United must start playing to the Belgian’s strengths in order to build on his “brilliant” first season at Old Trafford, according to Andy Cole.

Lukaku is a doubt for Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea with an ankle injury and Jose Mourinho has admitted he may only be able to name him as a substitute at Wembley.

The Belgian will be eager to turn out in English football’s end-of-season showpiece, having scored 27 goals in 50 appearances since his £75m move from Everton last summer.

Former United frontman Cole hailed Lukaku for a “massive” debut year at Old Trafford and is impressed by the 25-year-old’s record in front of goal this year, but believes Lukaku and his team-mates could do more to improve those scoring figures.

“I think he's played really well,” Cole said. “He's been consistent, he's not had the opportunity to have much rest, with Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] being injured and then moving on, so this season he's done really well, in a team that doesn't create many chances. So to get 27 goals, whether from a half-chance or a full chance, is brilliant.

“I still don't believe, when I watch him play, that he's actually playing to his strengths,” the ex-United striker added. “If you look at the way he played at Everton, to the way he plays now, it's totally different.

“If he starts playing to his strengths, and taking advantage of what he has as an athlete, his strength and power – and starts running in behind and stretches teams, you'll get even more out of him.”

Cole would like to see Lukaku exploiting space in behind the opposition defence and believes the Belgian proved he could do just that during his final year at Everton, when he scored 26 times in 39 outings for Ronald Koeman’s side.

“I look at Lukaku and I think to myself 'does anyone really want to chase him?', I really don't think so,” Cole said. “So if he thinks to himself there's 20 yards of space in behind, I could give some a yard or two and still beat them to it. And once he starts doing that and they start doing that, phew...

“I think the onus is on the team as well as him because as a centre-forward you have to make that move to show your team mates that you are prepared to go in there,” he added.

“Now if he is going to turn around and say that is not one of my strengths, my pace and my power, we’d all sit here scratching our heads because it is. If you watched him at Everton, that is how he got a lot of his goals, with his pace and power, they would slip him in and make those runs.”

Cole also suggested that Lukaku could emulate Liverpool’s free-scoring sensation and Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah, who has slotted perfectly into Jürgen Klopp’s fast, counter-attacking system.

When asked how many goals Lukaku could score playing at his best, Cole said: “You never know. But if you look at what Salah has done this season, a lot goes through him, even though the three of them [Salah and fellow Liverpool forwards Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino] are fantastic.

“If you look at the way he plays, he plays to his strengths. They give the ball to him early doors and he'll crack on and do what he does and nick a goal. He's ended up getting 43 goals this season.”

Andy Cole was speaking on behalf of Marathonbet, the Official Global Betting Partner to Manchester United.