Manchester United were made to pay for losing control of their players in FA Cup defeat

As Manchester United went into extra-time against a Championship side at Old Trafford their manager looked to his bench and saw one attacking option, a 33-year-old with three appearances to his name all season.

Somewhere, watching on TV, were Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani. Players allowed to miss this game but whose presence at this stage could have been game-changing.

The Stretford End’s ‘Standards’ banner was absent on Friday but would rarely have felt more appropriate. Sir Alex Ferguson glared on under a flat cap in the directors’ box and it’s hard to imagine such a blatant show of player power being granted in his days.

Whatever the truth of the Lingard situation - and it probably lies somewhere in the middle - United should have demanded he be available for this game when he’s part of the squad and there is an obvious shortage of attackers.

The issue might not be Rangnick's making, but it’s hardly a good look that the interim manager has now had public disagreements with two of his players in less than a month. It only adds to the sense of chaos engulfing the club.

And United officials were probably expecting Cavani’s call last weekend asking for a couple of extra days off in Uruguay. The 34-year-old represents the club with heart-warming commitment and enthusiasm but it’s inescapable that he doesn’t play enough. He had an eight-week pre-season and was unavailable at the start of the campaign as a result.

Ralf Rangnick explained his decision to grant Cavani his latest holiday by saying jet lag would have ruled him out anyway, but he played 87 minutes on international duty and while playing 66 of those late on Tuesday night is hardly ideal, he could have been on the bench and played a part in extra-time,