OLE WILL BACK ANY DECISION ON UPCOMING GAMES

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will support any decision the authorities make with regards to the current coronavirus pandemic.

The Reds are being forced to play Thursday's Europa League tie at LASK behind closed doors and there have been postponements of other round-of-16 ties this week.

Manchester City's Premier League clash with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday has also been called off.

With the present situation very much a fluid one, Solskjaer stated that he would respect what the experts decide when it comes to the continuation of the tournaments. However, for now, he is remaining focused on what happens on the pitch.

“We don't know what's going to happen, we just have to get on with it when we can,” he said at a press conference to preview the game in Linz. “I think football is for fans. I think, without fans, we're nothing anyway. I think the game should always be for them.

“Of course, it's still going to be on television but, tomorrow, we might get another message, or in two days' time, or next week, so, of course, it's a difficult situation. But, of course, the boys are very good, they're just focusing on the job in hand and that's what we have to do as a club.”

When asked if he would accept it if the Premier League was not played out, he replied: “Yes, I'd understand it in the circumstances. Of course, it's up to the experts to decide and the main concern must be the health of the general public. And the decision that will be made, we will back.”

Scott McTominay, who sat alongside his manager at the press conference, was asked the awkward question of how it would feel if champions-elect, and our arch-rivals, Liverpool were to somehow be denied the title.

“Obviously that's a difficult question to answer,” he said. “For me, you can't really say too much about that. Obviously for us, the manager, the coaching staff and the players, we're just concentrating on ourselves. We have to be 100 per cent committed to what we're doing and the journey we're going on as well and forgetting about other teams. The only other team we're concentrating on is the next game and obviously that's tomorrow night, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, and obviously, for us, it's a big build-up in matches so we have to be ready and hopefully this coronavirus won't affect us too much.”