Rangnick blocked from appointing his trusted assistant manager as Man Utd No.2

Ralf Rangnick has been denied the chance of appointing a prized assistant as his right-hand man at Manchester United.

Fellow acclaimed coach Lars Kornetka is a tried and tested partner of the 63-year-old's but has swerved the opportunity to join the Red Devils by accepting a promotion at his current club.

Lokomotiv Moscow have confirmed the Kornetka will be replacing the departing Rangnick as their Head of Sports and Development.

The incoming United boss will reportedly be allowed to bring in two additional members of coaching staff when he officially begins work at Old Trafford once his visa is finalised.

Rangnick has worked with the 43-year-old at multiple clubs since 2007, also spending time together at Hoffenheim, Schalke and RB Leipzig before their venture east.

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Kornetka is described by the Russian club as a 'specialist in statistical football analysis, assessment of players' skills and their physical condition.

That also 'includes advanced video analytics and scouting, focused primarily on finding promising young football players, and an objective assessment of their future capabilities.'

Rangnick, who could still be searching for additional staff, has previously labelled Kornetka "the best video analyst we have in Germany and my friend and colleague."

He only joined Lokomotiv in October, having spent a season with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven under fellow German tactician Roger Schmidt 's tutelage.

Still, Rangnick is pleased with what he will have at his disposal in Manchester.

"I am excited to be joining Manchester United and focused on making this a successful season for the club," the ex-RB Leipzig boss said upon his announcement.

"The squad is full of talent and has a great balance of youth and experience.

"All my efforts for the next six months will be on helping these players fulfil their potential, both individually and, most importantly, as a team.

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"Beyond that, I look forward to supporting the club's longer-term goals on a consultancy basis."

However, Rangnick's reign will not begin until at least their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Red Devils confirmed on Tuesday that caretaker manager Michael Carrick will remain in the dugout for Thursday's match against Arsenal, with United without a home league win since September 11, Cristiano Ronaldo 's homecoming match.

Captain Harry Maguire is available again after suspension, which could see Phil Jones drop out of the match day squad, having made his return to the 18 against Chelsea after 22 months out.