Why Noussair Mazraoui is not in Manchester United squad vs Rangers

Noussair Mazraoui seemed to be named on the bench but Man Utd made a mistake when confirming the team.

Noussair Mazraoui has picked up a minor injury and is not part of the matchday squad for Manchester United's clash with Rangers.

When the teams were confirmed on Thursday night, United's club website and official app listed Mazraoui as a substitute but club sources subsequently clarified he was absent.

Mazraoui was not included as a precaution after picking up a knock in the defeat to Brighton at the weekend and Ruben Amorim will now be left sweating on his fitness ahead of the Fulham clash.

United can take a huge step towards securing automatic qualification for the next round of the Europa League with a win against Rangers. Amorim's side are unbeaten in this season's Europa League, drawing their first three matches and winning the following three games.

Victories over PAOK, Bodo/Glimt and Viktoria Plzen have seen United surge up the Europa League standings. They effectively need four points from their two remaining games to avoid the need for a two-legged play-off tie in February.

An improvement in form in Europe over the last few months has been overshadowed by United's dire league form. They have won just one game in the last month - beating basement club Southampton thanks to a late comeback - and are 13th in the Premier League.

United are currently just ten points above the relegation zone and 14 points off the top four. Amorim admitted after the 3-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday that this current United side might be the worst in the club's history.