Four things that will 'definitely' happen to Manchester United after Roman Abramovich sanctioned

10.03.2022 - 16:01 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

The news Chelsea and their fans were dreading was confirmed this morning as Roman Abramovich was named as one of the Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government for his links to Russian leader Vladimir Putin amid the current war in Ukraine.

Abramovich announced his intentions to sell the club last week but despite news of a number of interested parties, he has not been able to push through a deal and Boris Johnson’s government has frozen all of his assets, including Chelsea.

The club can operate but there are severe restrictions as to what they can and can’t do for the foreseeable future.

This will have a clear impact on Thomas Tuchel and his men for the remainder of the season and Manchester United could be in a position to benefit.

The May 15 fixture

United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford on the penultimate day of the season and, with Chelsea banned from selling away tickets to anyone other than season ticket holders, there will be a diminished London presence in Manchester on May 15.

Given that only six points separate both sides (Chelsea have two games in hand), and with the uncertainty on how recent events will affect the team, United could be within touching distance of the Blues come mid-May.

There will be a real boost to United players inside Old Trafford having no, or very little, away fans inside the ground.

With United struggling at present, there remains a doubt as to whether they will still be in the race for a top-four spot but should they be, then this will be a big advantage.

The race for the top four

As it stands, Chelsea are six points clear of United in third place. With Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and United all gunning for what most would assume to be the final Champions League spot, every