Rangnick – who said in the wake of the Liverpool debacle that United needed as many as 10 new players – believes the upside of the club’s “sad reality” is that there should be no papering over the cracks this summer.

“In football, you’re not always on the bright side – right now, we’re on the other side,” Rangnick said. “The good thing is that it’s crystal clear [what needs to happen].

“Now it’s only about, ‘How do we solve them?’ For me, it’s not enough to do some minor amendment, little cosmetic things.
“In medicine, you would say that this is an operation of the open heart. This is also something that not just one single person as a manager can do. In all areas you have to have top people and they have to work together in a very close and very reliable way.”

Bailly is one of a host of players who wants to leave United this summer after becoming a virtual outcast but he drew a rebuke from Rangnick yesterday over a contentious social media post.

When a fan posted a message that read “start bailly x varane” below some training pictures posted from United’s official Instagram account, Bailly replied, “please” followed by a laughing emoji and a pair of praying hands.

Rangnick was unimpressed. “If it’s true what you told me that should not happen in a football club, no matter in which league,” the German said.

Rangnick – who warned that United would get nothing from the Arsenal game if they played like they did against Liverpool – said the bomb threat against Maguire was “another bad sign of the crazy world we’re living in”.

Pogba will play no part in the game and, with only a month until United’s final game of the season at Crystal Palace on May 22, Rangnick admitted the France midfielder may not play for the club again.

“The doctor told me that it will take four weeks minimum for him to recover and since the last game is at the end of May I don’t think it’s very likely that he will play again,” Rangnick said. “It’s most likely he won’t be here anymore next ­season.”

Rangnick is due to take up a consultancy role at the end of the season but the former RB Leipzig sporting director admitted that could hinge on whether Ten Hag wanted him to stay.