Ruud van Nistelrooy is well aware that his interim manager stint at Manchester United will be a short one, but the Dutchman said on Thursday that he expected to still be in charge for this weekend’s Premier League clash at home to Chelsea.

Former United striker Van Nistelrooy stepped up from his assistant coach role at the club after the sacking of Erik ten Hag on Monday, and Sporting coach Ruben Amorim is widely expected to be installed as manager at Old Trafford very soon.

The temporary coach got off to a winning start with a 5-2 League Cup quarter-final win over visitors Leicester City on Wednesday, and at Thursday’s press conference, it was suggested he will still be there for the game with Chelsea on Sunday.

“I am guessing that too, so yes, it’s going to be a short job as an interim, that was communicated very clear and I was happy with that,” Van Nistelrooy told reporters.

“Obviously, it was difficult that Erik had to leave, I was very disappointed, with very mixed feelings about that, but you have to switch the mindset to win because 75,000 people are waiting and celebrating and millions are watching at home.”

While the 48-year-old Van Nistelrooy accepts his new job will be a short-lived one, he plans to return to his previous role once a new manager is installed.

“I decided to come back here for a very important reason. I came as an assistant to help the club forward and I’m still very motivated to do so in any capacity,” he said.

“As an assistant, and now as an interim manager, and after that I go back to my assistant contract that I have here for this season and next.

“I’m very motivated to stay here and help the club forward, that’s my absolute goal. I can speak to you about my side of the story and after, when the new manager is signed and conversations take place, we have to see how things develop.”

Van Nistelrooy, while upset about the departure of compatriot Ten Hag, knows in this job it is results that matter.

United finished a disappointing eighth last season and, while an FA Cup final win over Manchester City may have helped prolong Ten Hag’s stay, four losses in the opening nine league games leaving his side 14th ultimately proved his downfall.

“In the end, it is also clear in football that it is the results and Erik also said, in pre-season we had new staff and all were very positive and all working hard to bring the club forward,” Van Nistelrooy said.

“There are things you can’t explain sometimes. So many games we felt we could get a better result, talking Crystal Palace, West Ham, Porto, Fenerbahce (in the Europa League), but we also know it is about results and that is part of our job.”

Talks are reportedly ongoing between United and Sporting, with Amorim saying he will not provide any news until after his side’s next game on Friday, and Van Nistelrooy too was giving nothing away when asked about the Portuguese coach.

“Is he already announced? So we don’t know,” the interim manager said. “Again, what the future will bring, we will see.”

-Reuters

Manchester City winger Savinho and defender Manuel Akanji joined the club’s lengthy injury list after Wednesday’s 2-1 League Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and manager Pep Guardiola said he has been left with 13 available players in his squad.

Savinho was taken off on a stretcher in the 62nd minute with an apparent ankle injury, while Akanji did not start the match due to a muscular issue during the warm-up.

City are already without key players Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, and Kyle Walker while Oscar Bobb, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish have also missed recent games.

“We have 13 players (available) so we are in real difficulty. The guys that play, they finish most of them with problems and we’ll see how they recover,” Guardiola told reporters.

“I think we are in trouble, because in nine years we’ve never been in the situation with so many injuries.

“Hopefully he (Savinho) is not in danger but we will see… Akanji yesterday, I didn’t know it, in the last action felt something in the muscular part of his body and today in the warm-up he didn’t feel good.”

City lead the Premier League by one point from Liverpool and next travel to Bournemouth on Saturday.

-Reuters

Manchester United interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy said he would like to remain part of the club’s restructured management team once a permanent replacement for Erik ten Hag is appointed.

The former United striker got his team off to a victorious start in the post-Ten Hag era with an entertaining 5-2 League Cup victory over Leicester City in the League Cup on Wednesday.

“I came in as an assistant to help the club and now in this role I’m helping as long as I’m needed and in the future in any capacity,” Van Nistelrooy told reporters.

“I’m here to help, I’m here to serve, I’m here to give my everything for the club in any capacity, with so many people around me that want the best for the club and that will never change,” the former United and Netherlands striker added.

Two days after Ten Hag was sacked with United 14th in the Premier League, Van Nistelrooy’s first match in charge was memorable with captain Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro scoring two goals apiece, including a brilliant 25-yard strike from Casemiro that had a Van Nistelrooy vigorously pumping his fists in celebration.

“When you see these moments and you can share them with the players on the pitch and the crowd, it releases good feelings, and that’s what you saw I think,” the interim boss said.

He was pleased for the Brazilian midfielder who was the subject of scathing criticism after a 3-0 home loss to Liverpool this season that saw him substituted at halftime.

“I was delighted for Casemiro, the way he’s been training and helping the team and the club, he’s such an example, also to see the crowd’s reaction, they also know what he’s about,” Van Nistelrooy said

“Of course, going through difficult moments, the Liverpool game, a lot of criticism, it’s so hard, it’s not fair, he didn’t deserve that, if you see him train and prepare for games, he’s an example for us, and that was part of my celebration also.”

While the Old Trafford crowd sang Van Nistelrooy’s name after the final whistle, the Dutchman said it had been a difficult time since compatriot Ten Hag’s sacking.

“The days leading up to this were with mixed feelings, sad to see Erik go, he was the one who got me here, and in our first conversation the passion he showed for the club, that’s where we got connected, and it was sad to see him leave,” he said.

Although United are expected to appoint Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim as their new manager, media reports said the Portuguese will remain with his club until after the next international break.

That means Van Nistelrooy will be in charge on Sunday when United resume their Premier League campaign against Chelsea at Old Trafford.

United will travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup quarter-finals.

-Reuters