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Football

30th Nov 2021

Ralf Rangnick will not take charge of Manchester United against Arsenal

Callum Boyle

Michael Carrick will continue in the dugout in place of Rangnick

Ralf Rangnick will not be in the dugout for Manchester United’s game against Arsenal on Thursday night as the club continues to resolve issues surrounding the German’s work permit and Covid-19 regulations.

Rangnick was appointed as interim manager at Old Trafford until the end of the season on Monday, but as per the BBC, there were concerns his work permit wouldn’t come through in time.

There is now the added problem of tighter Covid-19 regulations after government-imposed rules were brought in on Tuesday, meaning that anybody entering the UK must take a PCR test and self-isolate until they wait for a negative result to come through.

As per the MailOnline, a spokesperson from Manchester United said: “We are working calmly and carefully to secure a visa for Ralf in line with all relevant regulations and protocols.

“These are processes which have to be followed and we are doing so as swiftly as possible.”

There are hopes for the 63-year-old to be able to take charge of United’s game against Crystal Palace on Sunday (5 December) but whilst a decision on Rangnick’s work permit continues to be made, current caretaker Michael Carrick will take charge against Arsenal.

The former United midfielder has overseen the club’s last two games in charge so far – beating Villarreal in the Champions League and drawing away to Chelsea in their most recent fixture.

United’s game against Arsenal is a crucial one in their quest for a Champions League spot.

As it stands, the Red Devils are five points behind Mikel Arteta’s side – who are level on points with fourth-placed West Ham United, and three points will firmly help in resurrecting their season and close the gap on the top four.

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