Manchester United stuttered throughout this tepid affair yet still remain favourites to reach the last 16 at the expense of Club Brugge in next week’s return leg.

Towards the end here snow fell, replacing the rain, on a night when each side was frozen in a deep below-par state. While Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side have the away goal, whether United possess the talent and skill to win this competition for a second time in four seasons is doubtful.

Related: Club Brugge v Manchester United: Europa League last 32 – live!

Related: Fraser Forster rescues Celtic with penalty save against Copenhagen

• Europa League updates from the 5.55pm GMT kick-off
• Follow all of the latest on our Europa League clockwatch
• And you can email Tumaini or tweet him too

7.07pm GMT

50 min End to end stuff at the beginning of half. Moments after Martial failed to finish Mata’s pass, Vanaken found Dennis with a nice pass at the other end. Good shot from Dennis but a very good save from Romero.

7.05pm GMT

49 min Two chances from United to open up. First Lingard very nearly got onto the end of a cross, then Juan Mata picked up a loose Brugge pass and found Martial in the box with a nice ball. Martial had a great chance on his left foot but he bizarrely tried to cut back to Mata. The ball bounced off a Brugge defender and rolled to a thankful Mignolet.

7.02pm GMT

47 min By no means will the home team be shedding tears over that substitution. Ruud Vormer had been struggling with injury but he is one of the best players and he is responsible for 15 league assists and 2 in Europe this year. Not bad.

7.01pm GMT

45 min The second half begins. About one kick into the second half, Balanta went down again with the same injury from the final minutes of the first half. He has now been replaced by Ruud Vormer.

6.56pm GMT

Meanwhile, Celtic lead 1-0 in Copenhagen.

Related: Copenhagen v Celtic, Getafe v Ajax and more: Europa League – live!

6.53pm GMT

It will be interesting to see how Manchester United start the second half. That was a rancid opening 35 minutes from them against a glittering Club Brugge. They had endless possession yet looked so timid on the ball and they could have conceded more.

The game changed in the blink of an eye with one moment of intelligence and industry from Martial, which galvanised the team. By the end of the first half, United had 6 shots to 5.

6.47pm GMT

From Ciarán:

I’m not saying he’s going to score many more goals like that, but it proves the worth of working a little bit harder off the ball. A lot Anelka to his game. One can’t doubt his talent (he’s just smashed the ball off the post as I write this) but there are infuriatingly lethargic spells from him almost every game.

6.44pm GMT

Well, that was an interesting half. Brugge dominated a completely lacklustre United for 35 minutes before Martial changed the game by taking advantage from a mistake by Mechele and nailing his finish.

Neither team will be happy with the goal they conceded, but here we are.

6.43pm GMT

45 min Balanta is down with a knock for Brugge and the physio is on. He looks quite dazed but he walked off and it seems like he should continue.

6.41pm GMT

Anthony Martial's top-scoring seasons for Manchester United:

2015-16: 17 goals
2019-20: 14 goals

Common theme? The No.9 shirt. pic.twitter.com/8F9Hf97VHD

6.40pm GMT

43 min Martial once again creates something from nothing, this time rattling the post with a wicked strike from outside the box.

That was going in if not for an excellent fingertip save from Mignolet to roll the ball onto the post.

6.38pm GMT

40 min That was a big miss from Brandon Williams, who booted his shot miles over the bar from a great position. Much better work from United, who worked the ball up the pitch and to Pereira who then fizzed in a great cross to Williams, who was in space at the far post.

6.35pm GMT

That was something. Brugge defender Mechele received a throw in from a completely neutral position but he clearly didn’t realise how close Martial was. As he let the ball run past him, Martial sprinted forward and nicked the ball, dribbling free and then finishing with plenty of composure. Industrious work from the Frenchman and we will see if he can single-handedly inject some confidence into his team.

6.32pm GMT

Out of nowhere, United are level! After a bad mistake from Mechele, a great run and finish from Martial.

6.31pm GMT

From Justin:

With United opting to play with a fly keeper tonight behind Lindelof, who always seems to be in the wrong post code when the ball is delivered, I’m not sure Bruges will need the full-on “miracle” to beat United in this competition. No walking on water required, Monsieur Clement; just tell them to bring their waders and hoof it up into the deep end.

6.29pm GMT

Well then.

Mignolet now has as many assists in Europe this season as Kevin De Bruyne

6.28pm GMT

30 min United are now up to 62.5% possession here and they continue to do absolutely nothing but pass sideways with it. This time, Brugge’s Mata steals the ball and flits about 40 yards up the right flank. This time he was just too quick for his teammates to catch up, but again, that is just too easy.

6.25pm GMT

28 min Tau, De Cuyper and Dennis have been electric so far from the left. Another chance for them as the trio combine with some quick one touch combinations before Dennis fires off a shot from the tight angle.

Well saved by Romero in the end but the home team is strolling through the United midfield at the moment.

6.22pm GMT

26 min This time, it’s Cuyper who produces a lovely through ball in Tau’s direction after a quick break. Tau was just offside and United breathe.

6.21pm GMT

24 min United have had 61.3% of the ball so far today but they really aren’t doing anything with it. The home team is happily waiting for space on the counter and, so far, tearing the English team apart with quick passing.

6.19pm GMT

21 mins Another heart-in-mouth moment for United. This time, Maguire failed to win a header from a long ball and the ball bounced over him as Brugge’s Tau chased it. Solid work from United keeper Romero, who was quick to meet the ball out of his box before hoofing it out.

6.16pm GMT

Club Brugge's Emmanuel Dennis has scored three goals in European competition this season:

⚽ Real Madrid
⚽ Real Madrid
⚽ Manchester United

A man for the big occasion. pic.twitter.com/dh1F381BRg

6.15pm GMT

17 min So much for a slow start! Brugge are moving the ball so quickly in the final third and, minutes after their first goal, they are already after a second. Quite a poor miss from Rits at the end of another great move from the home team.

The United defence looks shaken.

6.12pm GMT

6.09pm GMT

13 min With the exception of the opening scare for United, there is not too much happening here. This has been quite a sterile start.

6.07pm GMT

9 min United are settling down and have commanded possession a couple of minutes, but the ball is mostly in their own half.

Meanwhile, the rain has officially stopped.

6.04pm GMT

6 min Brugge are already showing exactly what have made them so successful this year. They are passing out from the back and have started with some crisp passing through the lines - they lead the Belgian Pro League in possession and passes played. Dennis was just offside after a lovely through ball by Vanaken. They are here to play.

6.01pm GMT

2 min Goodness. Brugge immediately generate a big chance to begin! United’s Brandon Williams suffered a tough tackle as the ball was pushed out. Brugge took the throw in quickly, with Vanaken whipping a ball into the box. Carnage in the box, but the ball was eventually cleared by Lindelof. That was a warning.

5.56pm GMT

1 min: United kick off tonight. We begin.

5.55pm GMT

Andreas Pereira, a philosopher, in his BT Sport interview:

Goals are like ketchup, if you score one, loads more will come”

5.52pm GMT

The teams are heading out onto the pitch. A reminder: VAR is now being used in the Europa league. Let’s see what carnage that brings up.

5.50pm GMT

The weather is absolutely miserable in Bruges. The rain is heavy and the camera has already cut to many sad people wearing big coats.

5.44pm GMT

Bruno Fernandes in the Europa League this season:

• Most shots (24)
• Most goals + assists (8)
• Second-most goals (5)
• Second-most assists (3)

Solskjaer's super-sub? pic.twitter.com/wLOn5aqcNS

5.41pm GMT

Recommended reading:

Related: Time passes fast in football, so will Manchester City players want to stay? | Eni Aluko

Related: Why Jude Bellingham is already on the radar of football's powerhouses

Related: Olympiakos' Omar Elabdellaoui aims to stun Arsenal for a second time

5.28pm GMT

The Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on BT Sport:

[Ighalo’s] not trained too many days with us. We’re still waiting. Hopefully we can get him on at the end of the game today. [Bailly] got a knock against Chelsea, so he wasn’t able to play today.

We know the conditions here aren’t great but we have to concentrate here.. We’ll just have to play a good game of football, try to control our game and try to play at our tempo.

5.20pm GMT

Players that have scored against Sergio Romero this season:

➖ Luke Matheson (16 at the time)
➖ Michy Batshuayi

The Manchester United goalkeeper has only conceded two goals in 10 appearances in all competitions in 19/20 pic.twitter.com/08kxjMPg93

5.15pm GMT

Some big changes for both teams tonight. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made six changes from United’s win at Chelsea earlier in the week. Fred, Fernandes, Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, De Gea and James all resting.

Club Brugge is putting forward a strong squad after resting players on the weekend. Still, particularly notable players on the bench are Ruud Vormer, the club talisman who is responsible for 15 assists in the league this season and 2 in Europe. David Okereke, Brugge’s second highest scorer in the league with 9 goals, also starts on the bench.

5.07pm GMT

Be sure to check out Barry Glendenning’s Fiver today.

Related: The Fiver | One of European football’s most pleasantly genteel experiences

4.59pm GMT

Club Brugge: Mignolet, Mata, Kossounou, Mechele, Deli, Rits, Balanta, Vanaken, Bonaventure, Tau, De Cuyper

Subs: Horvath, Ricca, Mitrovic, De Ketelaere, Vormer, Schrijvers, Okereke

3.35pm GMT

Here is Philippe Clement’s sober preview of tonight’s match:

“To eliminate Manchester United, you really need a real miracle. People who do not think that have not looked at recent history. Agreed, United has a difficult season. But they won at Manchester City and Chelsea and won points from Liverpool. There is a lot of quality in their group. “

“In Europe, you have years in which you perform a miracle. We will of course throw ourselves [at United] completely. These are two games in which we have nothing to lose. Many boys are looking forward to it. Matches like these provide my players with energy. ”

3.32pm GMT

What an unusually pleasant, stress-free week this has been for United fans. After arriving at Stamford Bridge on Monday with only one league win in 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team stole away with three points and offered all a rare opportunity to relax and bask in the glory of a job well done. There were pleasing performances from Harry Maguire (despite his stray boot’s attempts to ruin everything), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Erick Bailly, Bruno Fernandes and many more. In the end they were too busy celebrating to hear Mino Raiola’s new proclamations of war.

As always, the question is whether they can use a solid win like this to build some momentum and United’s biggest problem this season is how frequently they have been in this position. This season has included wins against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Leicester City and two other wins over Chelsea, yet the answer has usually been a resounding no. United have shrunk against lesser teams and struggled to piece together consistent form throughout. Here they stand once again attempting to use a big result to propel them forward.

• Striker’s back injury worse than initially thought
• Rashford’s participation at Euro 2020 in major doubt

Marcus Rashford’s chances of playing for Manchester United again this season are “touch and go”, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who has said the striker’s back injury is more severe than initially thought. It leaves Rashford’s participation at Euro 2020 in major doubt.

Rashford suffered a double stress fracture in January’s FA Cup win over Wolves and United’s manager was asked on Wednesday, before his team’s Europa League game at Club Brugge, whether the 22-year-old’s chances of featuring for United before the end of the campaign were rated at 50-50.

Related: Chelsea say 'large group' of Manchester United fans made homophobic chants

• Fans prevented from entering or ejected, Chelsea report
• United say song ‘runs counter to our values’

Chelsea have said that a “large group” of Manchester United fans made homophobic chants at Monday’s game at Stamford Bridge.

A number of fans were prevented from entering the ground and others were ejected during United’s 2-0 win, according to Chelsea.

Related: Arsène Wenger uses Fifa role to propose new offside law amid marginal VAR calls

'Maguire should get a red and then he scores the second goal.' Frank Lampard spoke of his frustration after his Chelsea side were defeated 2-0 by Manchester United after VAR once again took centre stage. Television replays showed the United central defender appearing to catch Michy Batshuayi with his boot as the pair tangled off the field in the first half. The incident was reviewed and no card was given. To make matters worse for Lampard's side, they also suffered two disallowed goals, both ruled out by VAR

• Frank Lampard laments Maguire's red-card escape in Chelsea defeat

For Chelsea, it was a painful night in more ways than one. As if seeing Harry Maguire escape censure for studding Michy Batshuayi in a very private area was not bad enough, there was also the frustration of the VAR interventions that left Frank Lampard feeling sore after being beaten again by Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who celebrated a win built on dogged defending, Bruno Fernandes’s first assist in a Manchester United shirt and the sight of Anthony Martial rising to the occasion in the absence of the injured Marcus Rashford.

It was a strange contest – Solskjær admitted his side were poor before Martial gave them the lead – and those tight refereeing calls are worth keeping in mind when it comes to analysing United’s fourth league win over another Big Six side this season.

Related: Bruno Fernandes offers vision of a thrusting United midfield after so long

Related: United's Harry Maguire should have been sent off, says Frank Lampard

• Maguire admits ‘catching’ Michy Batshuayi off the ball
• ‘I don’t like the way we’re losing games,’ says Lampard

Frank Lampard said after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester United that he believed Harry Maguire should have been sent off.

Television replays showed the United central defender appearing to kick out at Michy Batshuayi as the pair tangled off the field in the first half. The incident was reviewed by video technology and no card was given; to compound Chelsea’s chagrin Maguire went on to score United’s second goal.

Related: Harry Maguire and Manchester United rely on VAR for win at Chelsea

Related: Bruno Fernandes offers vision of a thrusting United midfield after so long

Manchester United’s £60m playmaker showed enough creative spark in win over Chelsea to point towards brighter future

Back in my student days, when I was an editor on the campus newspaper, we ran a regular feature called “George W Bush’s Thought Of The Week”. It was an empty box with a blue border. We were 19 and, as it turned out, not as funny as we thought we were.

For much of the last decade you could make a similar joke about Manchester United’s midfield: an entity that seemed to be defined as much by its absence as by its presence. Through the Fletcher years, the Fellaini years, the Schneiderlin years and more latterly the McTominay years, United’s midfield has felt like a metaphysical puzzle: if it doesn’t do anything, can it actually be said to exist? Even the world-record capture of Paul Pogba seemed only to exacerbate the problem: a sort of footballing anti-matter that merely highlighted the paucity of his context.

Related: Harry Maguire and Manchester United rely on VAR for win at Chelsea

Related: Mino Raiola steps up war of words with Solskjær over 'prisoner' Paul Pogba

• Premier League updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off
• Simon Burnton: United fan Ighalo ready to realise his dream
• And feel free to email rob.smyth@theguardian.com

9.10pm GMT

51 min Bailly, who has had a very encouraging game on his return, steps in to win the ball and start another United attack. Eventually Shaw overruns the ball and is dispossessed by Pedro.

9.10pm GMT

50 min “Does Martial deserve a bit more patience to develop into a really consistent centre forward?” says David Wall. “He’s still relatively young and although he has been at United a while now he seemed pretty much ostracised during the last year or so of Mourinho’s time there (in spirit if not in body, never getting a consistent run after Sanchez arrived). And now he’s being asked to play as a proper centre forward rather than a wide attacking player coming in from the left, where he played most of his games before this season. True, that’s where he says he wants to play, but it still takes a while to really develop in a new-ish position, as shown by the way Henry was far from the deadly striker he became when first arriving at Arsenal.”

That’s true, but Henry had pretty much cracked it after three or four months, and he was a couple of years younger. Martial has the ability and intelligence to improve as a centre-forward - tonight’s goal is an example of that - but I’m not sure he’ll ever have the attitude or temperament to be a great player. That said, United are not really in a position to sell players like Martial.

9.09pm GMT

47 min Rudiger is booked for a cynical foul on Fernandes.

9.05pm GMT

46 min Chelsea begin the second half. Christensen is being checked for concussion, which makes you wonder why he was allowed back on the field. I have no idea how these things work.

9.04pm GMT

Chelsea have made a half-time substitution, with Kurt Zouma on for the injured Andreas Christensen.

8.57pm GMT

The replays of the Maguire incident suggest he was exceedingly lucky to avoid a red card. At first I thought you could at least argue it was a reflex action, but the replays are pretty damning. He studded Batshuayi in the business area!

8.51pm GMT

Half-time reading

Related: Mino Raiola steps up war of words with Solskjær over 'prisoner' Paul Pogba

8.50pm GMT

Peep peep! Manchester United lead through Anthony Martial’s classy header. It’s been a slightly odd game - full of enthusiasm and good intentions but without much quality in the final third. Martial’s goal was the only shot on target from either side. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.

8.49pm GMT

45+4 min Batshuayi misses another chance, driving tamely wide of the far post after a good through pass from Pedro. It was a pretty tight angle, in his defence, but the shot was painfully lacking in conviction.

8.47pm GMT

45+1 min That was the first shot on target in the match.

8.46pm GMT

That’s another one for Martial’s YouTube compilation. Wan-Bissaka made the goal, twisting Willian one way and then the other before crossing to the near post. Martial got above Christensen, who had just come back on the field, and flicked an accomplished header into the far corner. Nobody ever doubted his class, and that was another demonstration.

8.45pm GMT

Anthony Martial gives United the lead with a masterful finish.

8.44pm GMT

44 min There’s a break in play while Christensen receives treatment for a bloody nose. He’ll be fine.

8.41pm GMT

41 min There’s another example. Chelsea move the ball smoothly from right to left, only for the overlaaping Azpilicueta to hit his cross straight at Wan-Bissaka.

8.41pm GMT

39 min This match has flattered to deceive. There have been lots of promising attacks from both teams, and precisely no shots on target. Abraham and Rashford are having good games.

8.37pm GMT

37 min A half chance for Martial. He played a nice one-two with Fernandes on the left, moved into the area and drove a low, left-footed shot that went a few yards wide of the far post.

8.36pm GMT

36 min It was just outside the area, so VAR can’t get involved. Replays suggest it was a clear foul.

8.35pm GMT

35 min Willian is booked for diving. I thought he was fouled by Fernandes, right on the edge of - and possibly inside - the area. This will be checked.

8.35pm GMT

33 min “To me, Martial is a YouTube great in the making,” says Vibanshu Bisht. “As in, 10 years down the line, his 10 min highlights clip would make great viewing, making United fans who never saw him play 90 minutes think he was the greatest. A bit like what Berbatov is now.”

That’s a really good comparison, certainly in terms of temperament and flattery to deceive. Unlike Berbatov, though, I can’t imagine Martial in Eyes Wide Shut.

8.31pm GMT

31 min A corner is cleared to Bruno Fernandes, who rakes a shot well wide from 30 yards.

8.31pm GMT

31 min Williams surges down the left and plays a dangerous low cross towards James that is kicked behind by Kovacic. There still hasn’t been a shot on target.

8.30pm GMT

30 min “I do like Luke Shaw and I do feel that Mourinho broke him really as a player,” says Rachel Clifton. “But he does always look a touch like someone woke him up three minutes before kick-off.”

I’ve never understood the fuss about Shaw, really. He’s in terrible shape and I’ve never seen much evidence that he is anything more than a decent full-back.

8.29pm GMT

28 min “If Chelsea do not win, Liverpool will have qualified for the Champions League even if City are reinstated,” writes my colleague Philip Cornwall. “It would be impossible for both Chelsea and Spurs to finish ahead of the leaders, given they meet on Saturday. Both would kick off needing to win all their final 12 games to match or overhaul Liverpool’s 76 points, if that game kicks off with Spurs on 40 and Chelsea on 41 or 42 - and only one of them can win that match.”

Yes, but what have they actually won?

8.27pm GMT

26 min Batshuayi misses a sitter! It was beautifully set up: Pedro slid a penetrative pass down the inside-left channel to Mount, who looked up and picked out Batshuayi with a precise cutback pass. He made a mess of a simple chance, steering just wide from 12 yards with his left foot.

8.24pm GMT

24 min “Evening Rob,” says Niall Mullen. “As a seasoned United watcher can you tell me is Martial really good or just alright? Everything about him screams elite attacking player but his record is unspectacular. He’s also 24 now so he should be approaching his peak years.”

He’s the kind of player you’d be scared to sell, because he could be a superstar, but I suspect he’ll always be a bit too easygoing to fulfil his potential. It’d be interesting to see what he’d be like under a great man-manager/motivator like Klopp.

8.23pm GMT

23 min Chelsea miss a good opportunity when Willian’s cutback is just behind Batshuayi on the six-yard line. A better ball would have given him an open goal.

8.22pm GMT

22 min Maguire survives a VAR check for a red card. He was pushed over by Batshuayi, and fell into the Chelsea dugout. As he did so he left his legs in the air and ended up gently studding Batshuayi in the thigh. It’s hard to be certain of intent, I suppose, but I’m pretty sure he knew what he was doing.

8.21pm GMT

21 min A promising break from United ends when Martial whacks a shot that is blocked by Rudiger.

8.17pm GMT

18 min Pedro pulls Wan-Bissaka over, gets away with it and hits a dangerous low cross that is cleared by Shaw.

8.16pm GMT

16 min “Hi Rob,” says Stephen Carr. “Quite a lot of pointless running about isn’t there?”

Hang on, how did you get into the office?

8.14pm GMT

United fans singing: 'This is how it feels to be City, this is how it feels to be small, this is how it feels when your passport's back in the drawer.' #mufc #mcfc

8.12pm GMT

13 min Mason Mount replaces Kante.

8.12pm GMT

12 min Fernandes and Fred combine really nicely on the edge of the area before Fred’s drive is blocked by Rudiger.

8.11pm GMT

11 min Kante walks off slowly - “not the most sorry sight if you’re a Manchester United fan,” says Gary Neville on Sky - and will be replaced as soon as Mason Mount is ready.

8.10pm GMT

10 min Kante is receiving treatment, and it doesn’t look good. He’s not in any obvious pain but it looks like a muscle problem and I don’t think he’ll be able to continue.

8.09pm GMT

8 min It’s been a breezy, attacking start to the game, with Chelsea in particular looking good. Willian runs at Williams just inside the area, makes some space with a stepover and drives a left-footed shot that goes a few yards wide of the far post.

8.07pm GMT

7 min “Hi Rob,” says Matt Pearson. “Chelsea fan here. Given that both our goalkeepers teeter pretty evenly on the axis of unspectacular and gaffe-prone, do you think Frank has kept Kepa on the bench just because he knows what a nightmare it would be to try and sub him off? Or does this spell the beginning of the end for the £72 million sometime-shot-stopper?”

I don’t say this with any authority, as I’m not in any of Frank Lampard’s WhatsApp groups, but I suspect that at this stage it’s no more or less than a kick up the trousers. From afar, it feels like Chelsea have more pressing requirements than a new goalkeeper.

8.06pm GMT

6 min A fine effort from Reece James flies just wide. He controlled a cross on the chest on the edge of the area, moved the ball onto his right foot and drove a low shot that took a slight touch off Brandon Williams and rolled just wide of the far post.

8.03pm GMT

4 min United are playing 3-4-1-2, as expected. Chelsea’s formation is 4-3-3, also as expected, but with Pedro on the left and Willian on the right.

8.03pm GMT

3 min Bailly is robbed by Pedro, spraking the first Chelsea attack. Matic ends it with a decent interception.

8.00pm GMT

2 min “You once mentioned my name almost 10 years ago, when I was reading an MBM in the British Library instead of writing an essay,” says Chris Ioannou. “I asked politely and you accommodated. See, Rob is one of the good ones... also, have you really been writing MBMs for that long?”

No, you’re confusing me with the other Rob Smyth. Such a shame what happened to him.

8.00pm GMT

1 min Peep peep! Manchester United kick off from left to right. They are in red; Chelsea are in blue.

7.59pm GMT

“Thanks for sharing the Harry Gregg obituary,” says Ryan Grubb. “One hell of a life lived there. I can only imagine how much everyone, everywhere rooted for that team in the FA Cup run in 58. Really puts our habits as modern supporters in perspective. Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve got some clouds to yell at.”

7.47pm GMT

“Hi Rob,” says John Ryan. “What’s your prediction for tonight? Can see both sides scoring.”

I fancy Chelsea to win fairly convincingly, maybe 2-0, although both teams are so unpredictable that anything could happen. United have looked bereft in attack without Marcus Rashford, though Bruno Fernandes should improve that side of their play.

7.45pm GMT

“As a Watford fan, I want to see Odion Ighalo do well (except against the Hornets on Sunday),” says Mac Millings. “And as a dreadful puns fan, I want to see him named in an all-time Cinema XI:

7.41pm GMT

“If I simply say ‘Hi Rob’ to Rob Smyth, am I likely to get a mention?” asks Graham Moger. “We will see... and could indicate the extent of interest, or otherwise, in tonight’s game. Or simply how polite and accommodating Rob is?”

Oh, I’m one of the good guys. This has been established over a number of years, but it never hurts to gratuitously advertise my inherent magnificence.

7.33pm GMT

“A win for United will get them closer to magic number of 40 points and eliminate any relegation fears,” says Mary Waltz. “How the mighty have fallen.”

They haven’t fallen that far, at least not yet.

7.29pm GMT

Pre-match soundtrack

7.22pm GMT

“Man Utd drew away to Liverpool at Old Trafford?” sniffs Alec Smith.

They played like the away side that day. That’s not a criticism; they did it brilliantly.

7.15pm GMT

Pre-match reading

Related: Chelsea take on Manchester United with Lampard focused on fourth place

Related: Manchester United fan Odion Ighalo ready to realise childhood dream

Related: Manchester United's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cagey on Paul Pogba future

7.11pm GMT

Harry Gregg died yesterday at the age 0f 87. He was a hero in ways that shame our silly modern lives, and it’s telling that most tributes dwelt even more on his character than his enormous football ability.

Related: Harry Gregg, Manchester United and Northern Ireland great, dies aged 87

Related: Harry Gregg obituary

7.05pm GMT

There’s no recall in the Chelsea goal for Kepa Arrizabalaga, with Willy Caballero keeping his place. Tammy Abraham is injured so Michy Batshuayi starts up front.

Eric Bailly plays for the first time since Manchester United’s match against Chelsea at Old Trafford in April. Odion Ighalo is on the bench.

5.29pm GMT

Hello and welcome to live coverage of Roy Keane v Jamie Carr… sorry, of Chelsea v Manchester United from Stamford Bridge. It’s a pretty big game, this, in the race for fourth/fifth/whichever place will ensure a share of next season’s Champions League coin.

Chelsea are fourth at the moment, a point ahead of Spurs in fifth and six ahead of United in ninth, but their home form has been dodgy for most of the season. Southampton are the only other Premier League team to have picked up more points away than at home, and Chelsea failed to beat 10-man Arsenal in their last game at Stamford Bridge. What started as a slight tactical problem is in danger of becoming a mental block. This would be a very good time to get over it: in the next nine days they host Manchester United, Spurs and Bayern Munich.

• Pogba’s agent takes to Twitter to criticise United manager
• ‘I hope he does not want to suggest Paul is his prisoner’

Paul Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola took to Twitter, minutes before Manchester United’s pivotal fixture with Chelsea on Monday to hit out at Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

The United manager, frustrated by exhaustive speculation around Pogba, had seemingly irked the agent by telling him that the midfielder belonged to his club, rather than the agent. But, moments before a crucial match in the race for the Champions League places, Raiola took to social media to have his say over the France international’s future.

Related: Manchester United's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cagey on Paul Pogba future

Paul is not mine and for sure not Solskjaer’s property, Paul is Paul Pogba’s. pic.twitter.com/CvBHW8mj8U

Magnificent Manchester United goalkeeper hailed as a hero of the Munich air crash of 1958

The footballer Harry Gregg, who has died aged 87, was one of the finest and bravest goalkeepers of his era, and equally courageous away from the goalmouth. In particular he was a hero of the appalling Munich air crash of February 1958, when a plane carrying the Manchester United team back from Belgrade failed to clear the snowy runway after refuelling in Munich, killing 23 people and leaving many others with dreadful injuries.

Related: Harry Gregg, Manchester United and Northern Ireland great, dies aged 87

Related: Harry Gregg, Manchester United and Northern Ireland great, dies aged 87

Manchester United and Northern Ireland great, Harry Gregg, has died aged 87. The goalkeeper was a hero of the Munich air disaster, in which 23 people died and 16 survived. 

Gregg returned twice to the burning aircraft, rescuing United colleagues Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet. In 1957, Gregg became the world’s most expensive keeper at £23,000 when signing with United and Sir Matt Busby. He made 247 appearances for United, including a 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday played just 13 days after the Munich tragedy

• Harry Gregg, Manchester United and Northern Ireland great, dies aged 87

Nigeria striker has taken a long road to the summit as he prepares to make his Manchester United debut at Chelsea

After Odion Ighalo’s unexpected loan move at the end of January and his coronavirus-related quarantine, at Stamford Bridge on Monday he is expected to become the first Nigerian to play for Manchester United. As the unexpected solution to a famous club’s striker shortage, he will be the subject of wild attention and swift judgment, a situation a world away from the one he faced when he first moved to Europe in 2007 and became the latest in an only occasionally glorious line of compatriots attempting to forge a reputation at the Norwegian club Lyn.

The star graduate, Mikel John Obi, had joined Chelsea the previous year, and the speedy striker Chinedu Obasi had left for Hoffenheim just before Ighalo’s arrival, which followed unsuccessful trials at Sporting and Hertha Berlin, with the forward Ezekiel Bala and the midfielder Paul Obiefule already in the squad. Coaches at the club were used to evaluating young players as they took their first steps in European football, and the prevailing opinion of Ighalo was that he was likely to achieve only moderate success.

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• Goalkeeper was a hero of the Munich air disaster
• Gregg returned to burning fuselage to rescue others

The former Manchester United and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Harry Gregg, a hero of the Munich air disaster, has died at the age of 87. His death was announced by the Harry Gregg Foundation on Monday morning.

Gregg was a survivor of the air disaster on 6 February 1958, in which 23 people died, and twice returned to the burning fuselage to drag teammates and strangers to safety. He rescued United colleagues Bobby Charlton and Dennis Viollet from BEA Flight 609, as well as a 20-month old baby and her badly injured, pregnant mother.

United manager unwilling to say if unsettled France international recovering from injury will play for the club again

Ole Gunnar Solskjær was unable to confirm Paul Pogba will play for Manchester United again when asked to state it unequivocally.

Pogba is still recovering from an ankle problem in what is proving an injury-blighted season that has limited him to eight appearances. He last featured as a half‑time replacement in the 4-1 win against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. That was six weeks ago despite Solskjær previously stating the France play-maker would miss around a month.

Related: Paul Pogba hopes for summer exit but Manchester United want €100m

This meeting begins a 13-game run-in during which Chelsea and Manchester United each hope to claim a Champions League berth. For Frank Lampard’s side the carrot is knowing a win takes them nine points clear of their visitors who for the same reason will be desperate to avoid this and claim victory themselves to close to within three points to the hosts. Odion Ighalo will be in United’s squad and the on-loan striker may play at some point. Jamie Jackson

Monday 8pm Sky Sports Premier League

• Forward’s contract due to expire in June
• Inter have offered €3m-a-year deal to 2025

Manchester United’s Tahith Chong is seriously considering an offer to join Internazionale this summer. The 20-year-old’s contract is due to expire in June and Inter are pushing hard to sign him.

Related: Paul Pogba hopes for summer exit but Manchester United want €100m

• Player’s agent, Mino Raiola, hints at Juventus return
• Club hope strong showing at Euro 2020 will keep value high

Paul Pogba wants to leave Manchester United in the summer but his chances of securing a swift exit are likely to be hampered by the club setting an asking price of around €100m (£83m).

Juventus remain interested in re-signing the midfielder and Real Madrid also have him on their radar but both clubs consider such a fee too high for a player who has been largely underwhelming at United since he rejoined in 2016.

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• Nigeria striker signed on loan from Shanghai
• United next in action at Chelsea on Monday

Odion Ighalo has not been working at Manchester United’s training base since joining the club owing to concerns over the coronavirus. United are understood to have taken extra precautions after it was decided the striker would not join the squad at a training camp in Spain.

United were concerned about border restrictions after the Nigeria international, who signed on loan from Shanghai Shenhua on deadline day, arrived from China. The club feared Ighalo might not have been allowed back into the UK had he travelled to Spain owing to a tightening of regulations regarding people who had been in China within the previous 14 days.

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Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked by Tottenham in November, would relish another opportunity to manage in the Premier League.

Pochettino, who took over at White Hart Lane in May 2014 after leaving Southampton, guided the club to the Champions League final last season.

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