Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Manchester United face Sabah in the Champions League… on a Thursday night.
Manchester United’s return to action in the Champions League is finally here. But we have had to wait a couple more days longer than we might have.
United play on September 10 against Sabah, after the games taking place in the competition on September 8 and 9.
The fixture scheduling leaves Manchester United with limited preparation time before the derby against Manchester City this weekend.
Head coach Michael Carrick has admitted it is ‘not ideal’, as City have now had two extra days to prepare for the fixture.
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Why the game is on a Thursday
UEFA have taken the decision to use three matchdays for this gameweek, because there are no Europa League or Europa Conference League games scheduled.
So rather than leave an open Thursday night, UEFA decided to split the games across two nights rather than three.
The reason for this is down to broadcast reasons, to maximise revenue.
So why Manchester United?
There are certain restrictions UEFA has to work with when scheduling fixtures. For instance, they aim to ensure that United and City are not playing at home at the same time on the same night, at the request of the local police force and local authorities.
But with City away in Porto, there was no reason why Manchester United could not have been playing on the Tuesday too.
There is no direct correlation between any of the Thursday matches and when the teams were drawn out of the pots.
Instead, the reason just boils down to the same issue, financial reasons.
United are viewed as a marquee interest, and UEFA and broadcasters would rather spread the top clubs’ games around, than schedule them all at the same night.
The Red Devils simply drew the short straw being selected to play on the Thursday – rather than a Tuesday or Wednesday.
United’s one saving grace
If there is one small positive for Manchester United, it’s that the club play both matches vs Sabah and then Manchester City at home.
A long trip to Azerbaijan would have been a nightmare journey for supporters and players on a Thursday, with the rush to get back for the weekend.
And playing both matches at Old Trafford carries an advantage. Considering City’s form, United need any kind of edge right now.