REVEALED: Ralf Rangnick is in England but will NOT take charge of Man United’s clash with Arsenal as work permit issues delay the German’s start with Michael Carrick to stay in the dugout for now
- Man United have confirmed Ralf Rangnick will not be in charge of Arsenal clash
- Rangnick’s arrival has been put on hold by his failure to secure a work permit yet
- It is hoped he will be given the green light for Sunday’s Crystal Palace game
- Michael Carrick will remain in charge for the clash with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick will reportedly not be in charge of Thursday’s clash with Arsenal as the club continues to overcome issues relating to the German’s visa and Covid-19 regulations.
Rangnick’s appointment until the end of the season was confirmed on Monday but immediately there were concerns that he would be prevented from starting the job by work-permit red tape and new Covid restrictions.
Club staff were told at Carrington on Monday that Rangnick is unlikely to be in charge until the end of the week, while the 63-year-old German waits for his permit to be approved.
Man United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick will reportedly not be in charge of the Arsenal clash
Caretaker boss Michael Carrick will remain in charge until Rangnick is given the green light
The problem has been worsened by stricter Covid rules for travellers arriving in the UK that came into force in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Anybody arriving into the UK from a foreign country must now take a PCR test and self-isolate while waiting for a negative result due to new restrictions bought in to try and tackle the Omicron variant of Covid.
As a result, according to the BBC, the German will not be in the dugout for Thursday night’s visit of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
United remain hopeful Rangnick, who has replaced the sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a short-term contract until the end of the season, will be given the green light to take over in time for Palace’s visit on Sunday.
A club spokesman said on Monday night: ‘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.’
Caretaker boss Michael Carrick will remain in charge until Rangnick’s arrival after overseeing a Champions League win over Villarreal and a draw at Premier League leaders Chelsea.
The Old Trafford showdown with the Gunners is already pivotal in the race for Champions League football with Arsenal level on points with fourth-place West Ham.
United’s clash with Arsenal already looks to be huge in the race for Champions League football
United are hopeful Rangnick will be in charge in time for Crystal Palace’s visit on Sunday
United are five points behind the Gunners and need to turn their season around quickly to have any chance of finishing in the top four.
After his arrival was confirmed on Monday, United announced that Carrick and the rest of Solskjaer’s backroom team — assistant Mike Phelan, coach Kieran McKenna and goalkeeper coach Richard Hartis — will be staying at the club.
Rangnick will be allowed to bring in a small number of coaching staff, although his trusted video analyst Lars Kornetka is staying at Lokomotiv Moscow to replace him as director of sports and development.
United expressed their gratitude for the Russian club’s co-operation after it emerged that they did not have to pay compensation to release Rangnick from the remaining two-and-a-half years of his contract.
The former Schalke, Hoffenheim and Leipzig coach has been offered a two-year consultancy role at United beyond the end of this season, although it is understood that he could land the manager’s job on a permanent basis if results go well.
