Ralf Rangnick will miss Manchester United’s match against Arsenal on Thursday, as the club continue to work on his visa and Covid-19 protocols.

Simon Stone of the BBC reprots that Ralf Rangnick won’t be in charge for the Manchester United game against Arsenal on Thursday.

United are continuing to work through the visa and Covid-19 processes, and they won’t get it all done in time for Rangnick to manage the midweek match.

David Ornstein reported for The Athletic on Monday morning that Rangnick might miss the Arsenal game, with United confirming Michael Carrick is still in charge for now.

The Athletic weren’t the first to report visa timing problems, with the Mirror suggesting Rangnick was a doubt for the Arsenal match even before the Chelsea game at the weekend.

He’ll instead have to wait for his first game, likely Crystal Palace’s trip to Old Trafford on December 5th.

There’s obviously a psychological impact when a new manager is in the dugout, both for the visiting team and for the side trying to catch their new boss’ eye.

Arsenal have already played against one new manager this week, with Eddie Howe taking charge of his first game with Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium. At least they won’t make it two on Thursday.

Still, with Rangnick’s appointment confirmed and imminent, you’d expect the United players to be trying to make an impression on Thursday.

From an Arsenal perspective, Mikel Arteta needs to take advantage of the week’s uncertainty to make sure his side are the better prepared of the two.