Manchester United’s trip to face Como in the Champions League is under threat of being cancelled due to severe thunderstorms in northern Italy - but what would happen in the event of the match being postponed?
The Red Devils have already made the trip to Lombardy, with Michael Carrick undergoing press duties on Tuesday. However, with an orange weather alert issued by Italian authorities, there is a real chance tonight’s game is postponed.
As a rule, UEFA attempts to rearrange fixtures by pushing kick-off back to the next day.
In Article 27 of the Champions League regulations, pertaining to rescheduling of matches, UEFA states: “If it is decided on the day of a match that the match cannot start or cannot be played in full, the full or remaining match time is, as a rule, played the next day.”
What happens if Como vs Man Utd is postponed?
UEFA attempts to reschedule games by just one day even under the most unprecedented of circumstances. When Borussia Dortmund’s team bus was attacked by bombs in April 2017, their Champions League quarter-final tie at home to AS Monaco was pushed back by just 24 hours.
Dortmund went on to lose the first leg 3-2, before a 3-1 Monaco victory in the second leg knocked the German side out of the competition.
Man United are not scheduled to play again in the Premier League until Sunday, when they welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford. This would represent enough rest days if the game was rearranged for Thursday, but Como are in action against Sassuolo on Saturday.
As such, any postponement until Thursday would have likely cause further rescheduling for Como.
UEFA will likely push for the game to be played on Thursday if it is postponed this evening, but there is a provision for the game to be rescheduled for later in the season.
In the regulations it is explained: “If the match cannot be rescheduled for the next day, the UEFA administration fixes a new date. This may entail exceptions to the regular match calendar.”
Como stadium on Tuesday evening
X/@SimonPeach
When could Como vs Manchester United be postponed until?
While next week Manchester United have a free midweek due to their early exit at the hands of Brighton in the Carabao Cup, Como are currently slated to play Torino in Serie A on Tuesday, October 27.
The week after, the next round of Champions League fixtures take place, before another international break arrives in the second week of November.
When club action resumes there are no free midweeks for Manchester United, with the fifth round of Champions League fixtures staged on Tuesday 24th and Wednesday 25th of November.
By then the Premier League’s packed December schedule kicks in, but there is one free midweek for the Red Devils, sandwiched between a trip to Crystal Palace and the visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford.
However, there is again a hitch - Como will be enjoying the Italian winter break between December 19 and January 3. Despite this fact, UEFA may order the game to take place the week commencing December 21.