MANCHESTER UNITED and Real Madrid will be allowed to stop for drink breaks during Tuesday night’s Super Cup if the heat in Skopje continues into the evening.
Temperatures have rocketed across southern Europe thanks to a heatwave dubbed ‘Lucifer’, regularly taking the Macedonian capital above 40 degrees Celsius.
It is forecast to be 36C when Jose Mourinho’s United side train at the National Arena Filip II on Monday – and a repeat of those temperatures for the Super Cup itself would see cooling breaks implemented.
The match delegate will decide 90 minutes before Tuesday’s game whether to have drink breaks of three minutes, which will come approximately 30 minutes into each half.
Breaks will be brought in if the temperature exceeds 32 degrees using a digital thermometer reading, or 27 degrees using a wet bulb globe temperature device.
The UEFA delegate will also take into account other factors, such as the temperature dropping as the evening continues – although it is unclear just how low it will go for the Super Cup.
Even if cooling breaks are not used on Tuesday, UEFA says 20 kilos of crushed ice should be provided to both teams and shading provided if the substitutes’ benches are in direct sunshine.
Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to the Real Madrid fold and could play against his former club as both sides made their way to Macedonia today.
Manchester United are without Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Ashley Young at home while Phil Jones and Eric Bailly are suspended.
Source:www.express.co.uk