Ruben Amorim facing Man Utd start date delay

• Ruben Amorim was scheduled to start as Man Utd head coach on Monday 11 November
• Visa issues have complicated the Portuguese coach’s arrival
• Amorim warned that taking over United would be “very difficult”

Ruben Amorim has had his start to life at Manchester United hampered by a delay in the confirmation of his visa, according to multiple reports.

The highly rated Portuguese coach signed off as Sporting CP boss with a 4-2 victory over his former club Braga on Sunday night, inspiring his players to overturn a two-goal deficit to maintain the team’s 100% start to the league season.

After untangling himself from the throng of players that swarmed him at full time, the incoming Manchester United coach told the assembled media: “I’m at peace now, I can focus on my new job and I’m looking forward to starting tomorrow.” However, that plan has been complicated by the creaking wheels of British bureaucracy.

As per reports from ESPN and The Guardian, Amorim still hasn’t been granted a work visa by the UK government. This paperwork backlog has become increasingly common since the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, but United don’t expect any issues with the documentation beyond the inconvenient delay.

Without the appropriate visa, Amorim cannot legally carry out any of his official duties, such as taking training sessions.

The severity of this blow has been softened by the impending international break. The vast majority of United’s squad will not be at Carrington on Monday, instead jetting off to every corner of the globe to represent their country. All United’s internationals should be back in the building on Thursday, 21 November – by which time, the wrinkles in Amorim’s paperwork will almost certainly have been ironed out.

The freshly departed Sporting coach was officially confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor on 1 November, four days after the Dutch coach’s sacking. Amorim agreed to join United on the condition that he could oversee three more fixtures for the Lisbon club, namely the Champions League visit of Manchester City and Sunday’s trip to Braga. Both games were won in thrilling fashion.

After a fitting farewell, Amorim turned his attention towards the demands awaiting him in Manchester. “I feel ready for the new challenge,” the 39-year-old told reporters on the weekend before warning. “I’m not naive, I know it’s going to be very different, very difficult.”