Ralf Rangnick started his reign as Manchester United interim manager on Wednesday by assessing the facilities of Old Trafford but has not yet spoken to his stand-in Michael Carrick.

The German, 63, is awaiting work-permit clearance from the Football Association and has not yet communicated with the existing coaching staff including Carrick, who will lead the team on Thursday night against Arsenal.

Rangnick, however, has started preparing for his six months in charge by visiting the club’s stadium to look at the dressing room where he will be delivering his team talks, other working areas and the playing surface. 

He also spoke with one of the club’s Treble heroes Wes Brown, the two-time Champions League winner who now works at United on their in-house television channel MUTV and as an ambassador. 

United are hoping Rangnick will be in the dugout for Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace but cannot confirm he will be available until the work visa process is completed. If the paperwork came through on Thursday it would not have given him enough time to meet staff and players, so Carrick will take charge of his third game as caretaker. 

Rangnick faces an FA-appointed independent panel in order to gain his Home Office work permit as his recent career out of coaching means he does not meet the criteria automatically. 

“The work permit process is ongoing and I’m in this position as I was for Villarreal and Chelsea, getting the boys ready for the game,” Carrick confirmed. “Because of the process and work permit we haven’t been able to (speak). We’ve carried on, it’s worked well the last two games.”

Carrick has overseen the Champions League victory over Villarreal and then took the team for the Stamford Bridge game where they earned a result against Thomas Tuchel’s title-contending team. He expects players to be motivated by the arrival of a new manager.  

“Players adapt, there’s different skills and styles you have to have,” Carrick said. “We have played different styles since we came here. Ralf has a terrific pedigree over a long period of time and had good success with that so I am sure that the players are looking forward to the days and weeks ahead.”

Rangnick has given himself a headstart for when his deal is rubber-stamped by the FA. The stadium itself is where Sir Alex Ferguson shared post-match glasses of wine with opposition managers. It is also where Rangnick will conduct post-match media duties to broadcasters and written journalists. 

Carrick was adamant Rangnick had no input into the team selection for the weekend draw at Chelsea. All eyes will be on whether Cristiano Ronaldo is restored to the starting line-up after being on the bench at Stamford Bridge, although the caretaker manager suggested it was not an important selection call. 

“Decisions are made for lots of different reasons, certainly ones get bigger news than others. I didn’t see it as a major decision. We all got on really well, the game went well to an extent and it wasn’t a drama at all,” Carrick said. 

United have named seven representatives on their new Fans’ Advisory Board (FAB) following their disastrous breakaway attempt to join the European Super League.

It will be co-chaired by barrister Christopher Saad and include Ian Stirling and Rick McGagh from the club’s existing Fans’ Forum, along with Jonathan Deitch and Duncan Drasdo from the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust.

The other two fan places will be taken by Deborah Henry, chair of the Manchester United Women’s Supporters’ Club, and Oli Winton, a senior communications consultant and long-time United fan activist.

Man Utd’s Champions League opponents given quarantine exemption

By Ben Rumsby

Manchester United have been cleared to stage their final Champions League group game at Old Trafford after Young Boys were granted an exemption from coronavirus quarantine upon returning to Switzerland.

As revealed by Telegraph Sport, there had been fears the Omicron variant of Covid-19 would force United to play next week’s match in a neutral country after the Swiss government imposed new rules on travellers from Britain and other countries to have confirmed cases.

But Young Boys tweeted on Wednesday: “YB has received a special permit from the Canton of Bern for the away games in the Uefa Champions League and the Uefa Youth League.

“This means that players and staff do not have to be in 10-day quarantine after their return journey.”

Uefa had on Monday been seeking urgent clarity from the Swiss government over whether Rangnick’s potential first European match as interim United manager would need to be moved overseas.

Under Champions League rules, had Young Boys not been exempt from strict quarantine conditions upon returning from the UK, next Wednesday’s game would have needed to be switched – if possible – to a neutral country.

That could have cost United millions of pounds in ticket revenue and left supporters of both sides out of pocket if they had already committed to non-refundable travel expenses.

It would have also seen United surrender home advantage facing a side against whom they suffered a shock defeat in their Group F opener in September – although they subsequently recovered to guarantee top spot, making next Wednesday’s return fixture something of a dead rubber for them.

Unless England manager Gareth Southgate is granted a similar exemption to Young Boys, he could be forced to miss the Nations League draw in Montreux on December 16.

Uefa is unlikely to move an event which could be conducted virtually either in part or, if necessary, in its entirety.