’s pre-match preparations ahead of Saturday evening’s clash with Newcastle have been dealt a blow after their flight to the north-east was cancelled last minute.
The squad reported to Manchester Airport this morning in order to take a private jet to Newcastle, with the plane originally scheduled to take off at 11am.
However, according to the , United were informed that the flight had to be cancelled due to poor weather conditions and technical difficulties.
Instead of taking the short flight to Newcastle ahead of tonight’s 8pm kick-off, the squad are instead embarking on a three-hour coach journey to Tyneside.
United are not expected to get to their destination until around 3pm, giving them precious little time to prepare for the match at what is expected to be a bitterly cold – and perhaps even snowing – St James’ Park.
The Red Devils may already be feeling hard done by given the short turnaround between matches, with the squad touching back down in England in the early hours of Thursday morning after their midweek clash with Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Newcastle played a day earlier, on Tuesday night, while they had a far shorter journey to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.
On the importance of silencing the St James’ Park crowd, manager Erik ten Hag told United’s website: ‘We had some experiences in the last couple of weeks with Copenhagen, with Everton, Galatasaray.
‘We are looking forward again and that is the best as a football [team], that you have such experiences and such challenges that energise you, as an individual and as a team. I’m sure we will be ready for the game.’
On the volume of games his side face in the coming month, he continued: ‘I think, for every club, it’s a key month.
‘But yeah, we have to go game by game and we can take belief, as I said in your previous questions, from what’s behind us, that we are in a good direction in the future as a team.
‘And when we build on that belief and we keep both feet on the ground, then I’m sure a lot will come and we have to build on from this.’
United travel to Newcastle looking to bounce back from throwing away a two-goal lead in Istanbul which leaves their hopes of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League hanging by a thread.
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