In an unexpected twist of fate, Paul Pogba may be able to feature in Manchester United’s derby with Manchester City after all – following a weather alert for heavy snowfall in the North West on Sunday.
The MET Office’s weather warnings could reportedly affect Sunday’s football fixtures, with Liverpool and Everton facing off in the Merseyside derby earlier in the day, and the Manchester derby scheduled for a 4.30pm kick off.
As it stands, the earlier kick-off time of the Scousers game means it stands a better chance of being played but there is a serious risk of United’s game being called off. Even though the playing surface would be fine, police concerns about the safety of the surrounding area could force a postponement of the game at Old Trafford.
In such an event, the rescheduled game would likely take place in January — with United’s next appropriate gap coming after their FA Cup game with Derby County. They would have 9 days until their game after that, with Stoke City, although these fixtures too may be affected by United’s progress in the League Cup. Regardless, there is no gap in the calendar for the game to be played in December should it be called off on Sunday, which means Paul Pogba’s suspension will be over and, providing he doesn’t get sent off again – or pick up an injury – means he would be available if and when the game does take place.