Ruben Amorim's potential Man Utd start dates amid delays in appointing new boss

Manchester United won't have Ruben Amorim in the dugout for the Carabao Cup meeting with Leicester City on Wednesday, and their wait for their new manager looks likely to take longer than first feared.

Amorim, the Sporting CP manager, remains United's top target to succeed Erik ten Hag. Sporting confirmed the Premier League club have displayed a willingness to meet the 39-year-old's release clause, but there have been hold-ups over compensation for his coaching staff, among other matters.

Additionally, the manager is understood to have a 30-day notice period in his contract with the Lisbon club. Amorim, for his part, indicated "nothing is decided" in the immediate aftermath of his team's Tuesday night victory over Nacional.

Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy will lead the team out on Wednesday, after United confirmed the Dutchman will be in charge until a permanent appointment is confirmed. This, however, may take longer than first anticipated.

Speaking to the media after Tuesday's win, Amorim suggested he would be in the Sporting dugout for their match against Estrela da Amadora on Friday. That makes it very unlikely that he'll be at Old Trafford in time for United's Premier League match against Chelsea, even if there appeared to be initial hope that he could be installed by then.

The 30-day notice period is understood to have begun on Tuesday, when Sporting issued a statement concerning United's willingness to meet Amorim's £8.3m release clause. There are no indications the period is affected by separate negotiations over the Portuguese's coaching staff, which could ultimately see that figure double.

According to O Jogo, though, Sporting may yet let Amorim leave before those 30 days are up. That's because they are said to see the international break as a sensible time to install their new boss, Joao Pereira, the current coach of Sporting's B team, is understood to be the club's preferred option.

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If Amorim does indeed leave Sporting during the international break, his United tenure would begin with a trip to Ipswich Town on November 24. However, if they're made to wait the full 30 days then Van Nistelrooy would remain in charge at Portman Road - and for the home Europa League game against Bodo/Glimt on November 28 - before handing the reins over for Everton's visit on December 1.

" Manchester United is interested. But it's my choice," Amorim said in his post-match press conference on Tuesday. "Until everything is decided, we won't be making any noise. I have nothing useful to say. I will take on whatever I want to do, as I have always done.

"I can't promise anything. What I know is that I will be at training tomorrow and I will prepare for the game against Estrela da Amadora."

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