Manchester United players and staff attend team-bonding meal ahead of Liverpool tie - but 4 stars absent

Manchester United players and staff attended a team-bonding meal in the city centre ahead of their mammoth FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool on Sunday.

United manager Erik ten Hag was present for the dinner on Wednesday night at The Ivy in Spinningfields, where United players gathered for a similar meal on the eve of the new season in August 2021.

Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Casemiro were absent when United players arrived at the restaurant at 7.30pm. The players finished the meal at 10pm.

Shaw (muscular) and Martial (groin) are nursing long-term injuries while Casemiro's daughter recently celebrated her eighth birthday.

Ten Hag's backroom staff, including assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag, first team coach Steve McClaren and technical director Darren Fletcher, also attended the meal.

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Most United squad members were escorted to the restaurant from their Carrington training complex by minibus. A handful of players opted to drive into the city centre. United reserved a private room and were served a set meal.

United held a team-bonding meal in Hale in November 2021 two days before manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's penultimat match as manager against Manchester City. United lost 2-0.

The FA Cup represents United's only chance of silverware this season after they were ejected from the League Cup at the second hurdle and completely eliminated from European competition when they finished bottom of their Champions League group.

Ten Hag's first victory as United manager was against Liverpool on an uplifting night but United were annihilated 7-0 at Anfield