Carrick would not be drawn when asked if the plan was for him, McKenna, Phelan and others to be involved with Rangnick.

“As I think you can appreciate this week’s been quite busy already,” he said. “Again, I haven’t really had time to think. I haven’t given it much thought. My focus has been on preparing the best as best I can. It’s a huge responsibility that I have personally at the moment to do that and I’m giving everything I can for that. Anything after Sunday is not in my thoughts at the moment.”

Rangnick is also expected to play a key role in United’s search for a permanent new manager. United will reassess their hunt to utilise what Rangnick can offer given he is vastly experienced in recruitment from his work as a sporting director as well as a coach, and he is due to be part of the selection procedure. It is expected to lead to United widening their net further and more seriously considering candidates such as Sporting’s Ruben Amorim whose name has already been discussed. 

Rangnick is renowned for being very much into process and structure, and one United source said hiring Rangnick, who was the outstanding first-choice from their five-strong shortlist of interim managers, will hopefully allow the club to “put our foot on the ball” as to what happens next.

It is obviously not inconceivable, should he turn around the team’s fortunes and be successful, that Rangnick will become a candidate and not least because he regards himself primarily as a coach and wants to work in the Premier League. However it is United’s intention – at present – to bring someone else in and if Rangnick also brings on-field success it will strengthen his say in who that is.

His arrival does not discount United making a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Mauricio Pochettino who remains a strong candidate and is expected to be allowed to leave the French giants at the end of the season despite having one more year left on his contract.

PSG’s sporting director Leonardo, who has a tense relationship with Pochettino, insisted: “We don’t want Pochettino to leave. He’s never asked to leave and no club has contacted us in relation to him.”

Despite Pochettino’s desire to become the next United manager and to eventually make a return to the Premier League there has been no contact with PSG who have made it clear that they will only allow the head coach to leave on their terms. United never believed it was realistic to hire him now – should they decide he is the manager they want – and have therefore spent the time since Solskjaer was sacked on bringing in an interim.

Pochettino will remain under consideration as will Ajax’s Erik ten Hag but United will now take their time. Another coach who is being actively discussed is Amorim, the 36-year-old who led Sporting to their first Portuguese title in 19 years last season and is very much a disciple of the aggressive pressing game that Rangnick favours.

Amorim is regarded as being at the vanguard of the next generation of coaches and it has been noted that his Sporting side will finish above Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League group after beating them 3-1 on Wednesday. Amorim has a 20million euro (£17million) buy-out clause in his contract.

With United’s wage bill having hit record levels, Solskjaer was aware that he needed to trim a bloated squad in January before the club would countenance new signings and the same is expected to be true for Rangnick in the winter window.

However, a number of players who were eyeing the exit door in January, including Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial, have put their plans on hold as they wait to see how they fit into Rangnick’s plans over the next five weeks.

Jesse Lingard recently abandoned all talks over a new contract and it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds with a player who was frozen out under Solskjaer but the England forward’s game may lend itself more naturally to Rangnick’s pressing approach.

United’s offer of a consultancy role was suggested by executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward following an initial interview with Rangnick and the chance to play a longer-term role in shaping United’s future had a huge bearing on his decision.

He had previously turned down the chance to succeed Frank Lampard on a temporary basis at Chelsea in January before Thomas Tuchel took charge at Stamford Bridge because he was not keen on a short-term post.