Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick has suggested abolishing the League Cup in a bid to ease fixture congestion in English football.

The schedule, traditionally at its busiest over the Christmas and New Year period, has come under severe strain from the impact of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, with several Premier League clubs hit by COVID-19 outbreaks and several Boxing Day (December 26) matches postponed.

United have been out of action since December 11 due to their own virus problems and have seen league games against Brentford and Brighton postponed.

They are set to return to action at Newcastle on Monday, with Rangnick saying Friday: “It is a big tradition in England to play on Boxing Day or the 27th, even on the 30th or the 2nd of January.

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