Goal-shy Zlatan Ibrahimovic has questions to answer, says Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry says Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic is facing a new challenge at the age of 35 – dealing with a goal drought.

Ibrahimovic’s stellar career has seen him win titles across Europe, scoring bucket-loads of goals in the process (with his season tallies actually increasing with age).

But the big Swede, who joined Manchester United from Paris Saint-Germain in a high-profile move in the summer, has gone six games without a goal in the Premier League.

United’s shaky start to the season has seen captain Wayne Rooney and manager Jose Mourinho come in for criticism, with Ibrahimovic avoiding such focus due to a goal return of four in his first four league matches.

However, the 35-year-old has failed to find the net since, and Henry (fifth in the all-time Premier League top-scorers list) says that this will be a new experience for the all-conquering star.

"All the questions have been about Mourinho and Rooney, but now they are about Zlatan Ibrahimovic," Henry told Sky Sports. "It's the first time he's found himself in this situation in his career.

"He usually puts them in the back of the net because this doesn't happen to him often.

"He's going to have to deal with it. I know he has the character and the ability to deal with it but it will be better for him if it happens sooner rather than later.”

Ibrahimovic’s pure form has coincided with a run of results that has seen his team win just one of their last seven in the league, and Henry says that will only increase the pressure on the team’s first-choice striker.

"Sometimes it's okay if you don't score but your team still wins, but he knows he's had great opportunities to score goals in important games.

"Yes, it does affect you, but I would still back him to deliver for United because of the player he was and he is still.

"It hasn't happened for him recently for United, but he needs to find a way to score goals because they need that.

"Does it affect him? Yes, he's a human being but he has the right tools in his mind to recover from that."

United travel to Swansea for their final Premier League match before the November transfer window, with a tricky run of fixtures to follow – with London clubs Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham all visiting Old Trafford and Everton hosting Ibrahimovic and co.