Bruno Fernandes has missed out on Manchester United 's game against Tottenham Hotspur through illness amid fears of a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.
The Red Devils' plans for the crunch Premier League clash were thrown into disarray on Saturday morning when David de Gea tested positive for coronavirus.
But further commotion was caused when his test proved to be a false result, as sources told Mirror Football , and United interim manager Ralf Rangnick was still able to select the goalkeeper to start the match.
Unfortunately for Rangnick though, Fernandes was forced out through illness - as reported by The Athletic - and a calf injury sees Scott McTominay omitted alongside Luke Shaw, who contracted Covid-19 last weekend ahead of the Manchester Derby.
Cristiano Ronaldo, however, is back in the starting XI after also missing the 4-1 humiliation, as bitter rivals City ran riot at the Etihad.
Join the debate! Will Man Utd beat Tottenham without Fernandes? Give us your score prediction here.
While Rangnick was concentrating on getting things right on the pitch this week, last-minute chaos led to the squad being ordered to travel to Old Trafford by car, as the team bus was ditched.
Furthermore, United met at their Carrington training complex instead of where they usually meet for home matches, The Lowry hotel in Manchester city centre.
Following De Gea's initial test, understudy Dean Henderson was lined up to play.
Henderson arrived at The Lowry with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and a handful of coaches on Friday night, but the duo were not joined by any other teammates.
Defenders Shaw and Raphael Varane missed last Sunday's derby due to returning positive tests, with Varane recovering this week to make the starting XI.
The game is of huge significance for the Red Devils as they bid to qualify for next season's Champions League, a goal shared by Antonio Conte 's inconsistent Tottenham.
Rangnick has warned his players that they cannot afford to drop any more points in their final 10 matches, admitting in his pre-match press conference: "We are fully aware about the importance of tomorrow's game.
"At the same time, the game on Tuesday [against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League which Fernandes is now a doubt for].
"But now the most important game is the game tomorrow against Tottenham. We have to win that game, we are fully aware of that. We had a good week of training.
"The players are also fully aware about the importance of the game. The focus is there, the togetherness was there in the training sessions."
The United boss added: We are fully aware that we have to look after ourselves and make sure that we do not drop points anymore."
