7am Man Utd news LIVE: Romero blunder, Ighalo and Fernandes feature, Rashford may miss Euros – The Sun

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER'S Man Utd were held to a 1-1 draw in Bruges, leaving them with work still to be done to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Sergio Romero was caught off his line as Club Brugge grabbed as early lead in the tie.

Next up is Watford at home on Sunday in the Premier League.

Follow all of the latest Utd updates and gossip below…

  • KICKED IN THE KNACKERS

    United fans were left raging at VAR after Club Brugge's shock opener in their Europa League draw.

    The Red Devils conceded in calamitous circumstances as striker Emmanuel Dennis was left to run through on goal straight from a goal-kick and lobbed on-rushing Sergio Romero.

    As the Nigerian ran away to celebrate, United players were calling for a VAR review after spotting that the ball was still moving when Brugge keeper Simon Mignolet kicked it.

    However, their pleas fell on deaf ears as it is AGAINST protocol to check restarts.

    Ifab's rulebook states: “The Laws of the Game do not allow restart decisions (corner kicks, throw-ins etc.) to be changed once play has restarted, so they cannot be reviewed.”

  • GOOD MORNING UNITED FANS

    Anthony Martial's equaliser gave the Red Devils a crucial away goal in the first leg of their Europa League tie against Club Brugges last night. 

    The Frenchman bagged his second goal in as many games to spare second choice goalkeeper Sergio Romero's blushes after he was caught in no man's land for the Belgian club's opener. 

    Dennis neatly lobbed Romero but the storm did not blow United completely off track. 

    It was far from a romantic stay in Bruges but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be confident of progressing when the two sides meet again at Old Trafford for the second leg of the Round of 32 clash. 

    However, the Norwegian boss bizarrely blamed the ball for his side's failure to win the game. 

    He said: “Bit sloppy concentration-wise, but the conditions with the pitch and the ball makes it hard.

    “I think if you ask any player that doesn’t help when you want to play football.”

    When pushed further on what was wrong with the ball, the Old Trafford boss added: “It’s just different, and difficult to play with. Get one and try.”
    All in all a good week so far for United having picked up a vital three points away at Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday night. 

    In other news Lyon striker Moussa Dembele is reportedly very keen on a summer move to United.

    January signing Odion Ighalo made his second successive cameo appearance off the bench last night but it is unlikely to be a long term option. 

    And former United left back Patrice Evra has laid claim to fast forwarding Brandon Williams' rise into the first team. 

    Evra said he saw Williams training with the under-21s and told Solskjaer the young defender had the ability to cut it with the club's top players. 

  • BALL-ACHE

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bizarrely blamed the Europa League ball for Man Utd's 1-1 draw at Club Brugge.

    The Red Devils were far from their best in Belgium and Solskjaer said: “Bit sloppy concentration-wise, but the conditions with the pitch and the ball makes it hard.

    “I think if you ask any player that doesn’t help when you want to play football.

    When pressed on what the problem with the ball was, he said: “It’s just different, and difficult to play with. Get one and try.

    “It’s the same for the two teams, of course, but the conditions weren’t nice, the wind and the rain.

    And later on, he said to MUTV: “It was difficult conditions out there.

    “It was almost like an AstroTurf, it was bouncing, the ball is very, very quick and lively. So anything can happen.”

    The comments even seemed to cause a few laughs among the Club Brugge staff.

    Boss Philippe Clement said: “We get the balls from UEFA, so it’s not our ball.

    “In the Europa League games it’s the same balls, so I don’t see a problem with that.”

  • DON'T BET AGAINST DEM

    Lyon striker Moussa Dembele dreams of a move to Old Trafford to play for Manchester United and it could happen this summer according to Sky Sports.

    United enquired about his availability in January after Marcus Rashford's back injury but instead signed Odion Ighalo from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua.

    Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol believes the club's hierarchy are determined to sign a forward in the summer window and Dembele fits the bill.

    The forward is thought to be keen on trading the south of France for Manchester and a move could be in the offing.

  • MARTIAL MATA'S TO US

    Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata praised the performance of Anthony Martial after his goal in United's 1-1 draw away to Club Brugge in the Europa League Round of 32.

    Spaniard Mata recognised the importance of French international Martial to United.

    Speaking after the game to MUTV, Mata said: “If you want one player to go against the goalkeeper, he’s [Martial] one of the best in our team for sure.

    “He was very calm, very composed, great finish and a very important away goal.”

    Martial took his chance well to score past former Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet but it could have been even better for the Red Devils if Sergio Romero had not been caught in no man's land for Dennis to score the opener for Brugge.

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