D-Day for Erik ten Hag as Thomas Tuchel has already told Man ...

Tuchel is considered the favourite to succeed Erik ten Hag should United decide to sack the beleaguered Dutchman, holding talks with Jim Ratcliffe in the summer, but an agreement could not be reached.

The German has taken a seat in the opposition dugout at Old Trafford four times previously, with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and most recently Bayern Munich – and never lost, winning three.

Speaking ahead of his most recent trip, in December 2023, Tuchel spoke of the "very special" atmosphere at Old Trafford and the "privilege" it is to take charge of a team at the stadium.

"No one puts their feet up in Old Trafford. It's one of the biggest stages in world football," Tuchel told TNT Sports. "It's a very special atmosphere, and I'm happy to have the privilege to be on the sideline for a Champions League match at Old Trafford.

"So on these kind of occasions, you need to bring the best out of yourself and out of our team. It's normal. Nothing else matters."

He added: "If you play at Old Trafford, there is a sense of a very special football stage. And there is a sense of a very special occasion. I'm very sure that none of the players would accept to just rest for the sake of resting or due to the situation in the table.

"These are the stages and these are the matches that you absolutely want to play."

Tuchel, a free agent after leaving Bayern at the end of last season, has previously critiqued the pressure put on Manchester United managers by legends-turned-pundits, such as Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes.

Before that Bayern Munich’s Champions League clash with United last season, Tuchel also said: “There is always a lot of noise around Manchester United. A lot of pundits in the UK are from Manchester United.

“You have a legacy from Alex Ferguson which creates expectations around the club."

United could make a final call on Ten Hag’s future today.

The United hierarchy, including Jim Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer, Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox, are set for a pre-scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday, and the position of Ten Hag is expected to be part of the agenda.

The 20-time champions have won just three of 11 games across all competitions this season, with their tally of eight points from seven games the club’s lowest in the Premier League era.

They have also scored just five league goals, with Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Aston Villa being the fourth game in which they have failed to score.

Ruud van Nistelrooy could be installed as caretaker boss if Ten Hag is removed.