Temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius expected in Kazakhstan; Man Utd's Europa League Group L game to be played under closed roof at Astana Arena
Tuesday 26 November 2019 16:28, UK
Nicky Butt will travel to Kazakhstan with the Manchester United first-team squad, a sign that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is preparing to select a young squad for the game with Astana.
Butt, formerly the head of the club's academy, switched roles in July and became the head of first-team development to focus on the progress of United's young talent.
It is understood two of Solskjaer's coaching staff, Kieran McKenna and Michael Carrick, will remain in Manchester to work with the senior players who will not be travelling, ahead of the game with Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.
One of the youngsters confirmed to be part of the squad to take on Astana is defender Max Taylor, who could make his first United appearance.
The 19-year-old was diagnosed with cancer 14 months ago but underwent a successful treatment programme and returned to training in September.
United flew out to Kazakhstan on Tuesday afternoon for their fifth Europa League game of the campaign after having already qualified to the round of 32 with a 3-0 win over Partizan earlier this month.
The Group L game on Thursday evening in Nur-Sultan will see them faced with temperatures below -10 degrees Celsius, with players, staff and fans recommended to only spend 10 minutes outside in the open air at a time.
Hosting the Europa League clash will be the Astana Arena, which will feature a closed roof in a bid to protect the players from the chilly conditions.
