Manchester United staff to miss Real Sociedad game in Covid self-isolation

United’s staff still self-isolating after missing Newcastle win

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United via Getty Images)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be without his regular Manchester United backroom staff once again for Thursday's Europa League tie against Real Sociedad.

Academy coaches Nicky Butt and Mark Dempsey were promoted to first team duties for Sunday's 3-1 win over Newcastle after several members of Solskjaer's team were forced to self-isolate.

Solskjaer confirmed on Wednesday that Butt and Dempsey will join him on the bench at Old Trafford again but insisted that the playing squad remains unaffected.

"We've had loads of tests since then and all the players have been negative," the United manager said.

"We just acted at the right time and in the right manner. [The coaching staff] won't be with us now for this game, no."

United are in a healthy position to qualify for the Europa League last-16 following last week's 4-0 win over Sociedad on neutral ground in Turin.

Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani and Scott McTominay missed the win over Newcastle through injury and are not expected to recover in time to feature in Thursday’s second leg.

Solskjaer also said that Paul Pogba’s recovery from a thigh problem is ongoing. Youngster Hannibal Mejbri is likely to be out for a month, though fellow teenagers Shola Shoretire and Amad will be in the squad.

“They'll still be missing,” said Solskjaer. “They've not joined training so they won't be ready, no. Paul has been outside on the grass and is starting to step up his recovery but he's not near the team for this game.”

“It'll be more or less the same squad that we had against Newcastle.

“Hannibal is injured for about a month. Amad and Shola [Shoretire] will, of course, be involved. They are in the squad but I am not going to tell you if they are starting or not.”