Why Manchester United U18s are playing two matches in the space of just 18 hours

Manchester United U18s will face a gruelling fixture schedule this midweek, with two matches scheduled in the space of just 18 hours.

United return to action in the U18 Premier League on Tuesday night when they host Blackburn Rovers at 19:00 BST before travelling to face Wolves at 13:00 BST on Wednesday.

Travis Binnion's side have been forced to play fixture catch-up due to cancellations from the COVID outbreak at the club back in December as well as rearranged matches due to their progression in the FA Youth Cup.

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The Manchester Evening News understands United have no complaints about their fixture backlog at U18s level and are confident they have enough player depth to cope with the workload.

United are set to promote some U16s to help field enough players for both matches, while eligible members of the U23 set-up will also be considered to support the player shortage.

It is also understood that United agreed to the fixture dates and times given the limited timeframe they had to fit the games into.

Last December, an outbreak at the club forced the club to shut down their Carrington training ground as well as cancel scheduled matches across various age groups.

United's league fixtures have also had to be rearranged following their run to the final of the Youth Cup. Binnion's side will face Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in the showpiece event next month, with 28,000 tickets already sold.