Manchester United have been handed a tough draw in the group stage of the Europa League including a nine hour flight to Kazakhstan.
The 2017 winners were drawn in Group L alongside Astana, Partizan Belgrade, and AZ Alkmaar in this season’s competition.
They face a chilly flight to a destination that’s actually closer to Shanghai than to Manchester for their game against Astana in Kazakhstan.
Serbian champions Partizan were recently handed a two game stadium ban for racist chanting during their Champions League qualifying games against Olympiakos and Buducnost this season but the suspension will be over by the time the Reds visit.
United’s away game at Dutch club AZ Alkmaar – one of former boss Louis van Gaal’s former clubs – may not even go ahead in their stadium after part of the AFAS Stadion’s roof collapsed onto seating during high winds earlier this month.
Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling moving to Italy on loan
Alexis Sanchez, Chris Smalling have made loan moves to Serie A clubs Inter Milan and Roma respectively.
The Reds will pay the majority of Sanchez’ salary as he joins Romelu Lukaku at the San Siro under Inter’s new boss Antonio Conte.
Chris Smalling, who signed a new contract until 2022 last December, has found himself on the fringes of the first team as United juggled seven senior centre halves in their squad.
Roma reportedly paid a £2.7m loan fee for his services in the forthcoming season after it became clear that new signing Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof were going to be United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first choice central defenders this term.
Matteo Darmian linked to Parma move
Matteo Darmian seems set to follow them to Italy with a permanent move agreed with Parma.
The Italian right back, 29, seems set to leave for a fee of £3.6m with a reported 20% sell-on clause included in the deal.
Darmian had racked up 92 appearances in all competitions with the Reds since his arrival in 2015, lifting the FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League.
He would become the sixth departure from the United’s squad after Antonio Valencia, Ander Herrera, Romelu Lukaku, Sanchez, and Smalling.
Despite the squad re-shaping, United are still overstocked in central defence and now possibly lacking in experienced squad members in forward departments with Anthony Martial currently injured and leaving Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood as fit centre forwards.
Luke Shaw’s hamstring injury also puts pressure on their left back slot with veteran Ashley Young set to fill in at Southampton.