Manchester United players have been told they should not go outside for more than 10 minutes at a time when they travel to play FC Astana in the Europa League because of freezing conditions in Kazakhstan, sources have told ESPN FC.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team are set to face plunging temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 F) for their Group L clash, prompting club officials to advise players and staff to stay indoors.
The game will be played under a closed roof and on an artificial surface at the 30,000-capacity Astana Arena on Nov. 28.
But members of the travelling party have also been told to refrain from going outdoors for more than 10 minutes during any down time because of the cold.
United sit top of their group and have already qualified for the knockout rounds after winning three of their first four games.
The 7,000-mile round trip to face Astana comes ahead of a hectic spell that will see Solskjaer’s team face Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City in the space of seven days, and the Norwegian is set to rest key players — including David de Gea, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford — in the Europa League fixture.
United will pay for around 150 supporters to make the trip to Kazakhstan as some fans had made arrangements with defunct travel company Thomas Cook. The club will also lay on a chartered flight to ensure they still get there.
