Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick have emerged as the leading candidates to take interim charge of Manchester United until the end of the season, after Ruud van Nistelrooy was ruled out of contention. United's chief executive, Omar Berrada, and director of football, Jason Wilcox, held talks with both contenders on Tuesday and are expected to meet them again before making a final decision.
Solskjaer is considered the frontrunner after being spotted in Cheshire on Tuesday. The Norwegian previously managed United on an interim basis in December 2018 following Jose Mourinho's sacking, winning his first eight matches before being given a three-year contract. His tenure ended in November 2021, leading to Carrick taking charge for three games before Ralf Rangnick was appointed.
Carrick, who served as Solskjaer's assistant, also has interim experience and later managed Middlesbrough for two-and-a-half seasons before leaving last summer. Van Nistelrooy, who returned to United as an assistant under Erik ten Hag in 2024 and briefly took charge after his departure, will not be offered the role again.
Darren Fletcher is currently in caretaker charge and will manage his first match away at Burnley on Wednesday. Speaking ahead of the game, Fletcher said: 'I've had a conversation [about the future] and the focus was on this game. I've got a game to prepare for, a training session to organise, and I've been speaking to the players. The focus has been on the Burnley match, and we'll speak after the game.'
Fletcher is likely to remain in charge for the FA Cup third-round tie against Brighton this weekend, with Carrick or Solskjaer potentially taking over for the Manchester derby against City. United's January fixtures also include a trip to league leaders Arsenal.
