Why are Manchester United kicking off at 12.30pm on a Sunday? | OneFootball

Michael Carrick looking to end interim reign on high note with eyes on permanent job

Manchester United take on Nottingham Forest this weekend in their penultimate game of the Premier League season.

Michael Carrick will oversee his final game - at least, of this campaign - at Old Trafford against Vitor Pereira’s side, who have managed to propel themselves away from the threat of relegation.

It therefore renders this match a dead rubber, with United also fulfilling their objective of qualifying for the Champions League.

The Red Devils sat sixth in the table when Ruben Amorim was sacked back in January, 20 points behind league leaders Arsenal.

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Carrick has since come in - on a deal until the end of the season - and guided the club back to Europe’s top competition after three years away.

They play a Forest side reeling from their own European heartache.

Pereira’s men were 1-0 up in their Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa, but saw that advantage quickly wiped out and then some as they were thrashed 4-0 in the second leg at Villa Park.

They followed that up with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle last weekend, with Elliot Anderson popping up late on to snatch a point against his former club.

Why is Man Utd vs Nottingham Forest kicking off at 12.30pm on Sunday?

The reason why this game is being played at an unusual time is because of Forest’s European commitments.

The fixture had already been selected for TV coverage, but was kept open to accommodate the club’s progress on the continent.

The kick-off time was only confirmed last week, awaiting the resolution of the Europa League last-four tie.

How to watch Man Utd vs Nottingham Forest

TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 12pm BST.