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• Increased capacity of 57,000 expected at Anfield for Liverpool v Man Utd clash

  Liverpool expect to have 57,000 fans in attendance for the visit of Manchester United providing the new Anfield Road Stand receives a safety certificate this week.

  A test event on Monday evening is set to be attended by 7,500-plus supporters, who will watch a LFC Foundation mini-game and listen to a question-and-answer session from manager Jurgen Klopp.

  If everything runs smoothly then on Sunday 7,000 seats in the upper tier will be filled for the visit of their arch-rivals, leaving only facilities for 2,000 hospitality guests and some minor work on the lower tier to be completed next month to bring the capacity up to 61,000.

  Work on the £80million upgrade was due to be completed for the start of the season but an initial delay was complicated by contractors Buckingham Group going into administration, leading to a phased reopening which has seen only the lower tier in operation.

  “It’s been really challenging,” said Paul Cuttill, vice-president of Stadium Operations.

  “Our priority was to get fans back into the stadium as soon as possible safely. Billy (Hogan, the chief executive) said back in October it would likely be 2024 before we would open so to get ahead of that for the Man United game is a bit of an early Christmas present.

  “What it has cost us is the amount of time it has taken.

  “Being able to bring in people earlier has been a massive benefit to us, but we won’t know the true nature of the costs until we have got a proper programme in place towards the end of the season.”

• Chiellini keen to continue football career in the boardroom, not the dugout

  Giorgio Chiellini is keen to stay in football when he calls time on his glittering career, though he imagines himself becoming a director rather than a coach.

  Chiellini won nine Serie A titles during a distinguished spell with Juventus and captained Italy to Euro 2020 glory before moving to the United States last year, helping Los Angeles FC win the MLS Cup.

  LAFC failed to go back-to-back as they were beaten 2-1 by the Columbus Crew in Saturday's MLS Cup final, and Chiellini has yet to make a decision on whether he will play on in 2024, with his contract due to expire this month.

  As for his long-term future, the 39-year-old has his eyes set on a place in the boardroom, rather than the dugout.

  Speaking exclusively to Stats Perform, Chiellini said: "I did a degree in economics and the NBA, and I had always that type of management in my mind. 

  "Not as a coach, not in scouting, but yeah, to try to remain linked in the world of football on that side. 

  "It's not easy. It's not a journey that you start and then you can decide, you have to study and learn many things because at the end, you come into this world at 40 and not at 25. 

  "Then you have some other skills that probably other football players don't have, but you miss other parts. 

  "What I hope for my future is to have the time to learn and the patience to stay close to some key figures and key people that are open to teaching me what I'm missing, and to develop this type of situation. I cannot just focus on watching games."

  Expanding further on what his ideal role would entail, the defender added: "More of a director, not just scouting, but something more management based. 

  "Related to football, but not as one of the people who watch the players in order to pick them.

  "Something where I maybe help the club to figure out about what we could spend for players, how we could afford them, how we could improve the situation, all this stuff."

• Erik ten Hag confident Man Utd can end record Bayern run and avoid European exit

  Erik ten Hag is confident his inconsistent but talented Manchester United side can beat Bayern Munich to stay in Europe as they pray for a Champions League miracle.

  The Red Devils’ Group A campaign has been punctuated by goals, madness and mistakes, leaving their hopes of reaching the knockout phase hanging by a thread.

  United have just four points and sit bottom of the pool heading into the final match against already-qualified Bayern, meaning progress is out of their hands.

  Ten Hag’s men need to become the first side to beat the German outfit in a Champions League group game since September 2017 and hope Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw in the other game.

  United are guaranteed at least a place in the Europa League if they win on a night that the Dutchman is heading into without thinking about the impact of failing to qualify from the group.

  He said: “I don’t know. What I know is I never think in a negative scenario. We think positive, so we know what to do.

  “We have to win to stay in Europe, so it’s all about that.

  “We will prepare the team with that feeling and with that belief that we are able to do it and I think we have shown in the last weeks when we are on our best then we can do it.”

  United limp into this match on the back of Saturday’s awful 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, which led Ten Hag to admit his team were not good enough to be consistent high performers.

  But the Dutchman remains confident his side possesses the quality to beat the best as they look to end Bayern’s competition record 39-match unbeaten group-stage run.

  “It’s our team (that gives me hope),” Ten Hag said. “We are not consistent. Clear.

  “But we have also a very good performance and highs, so if we get it when we are in the right spirit, then we are able to do it and we are able to beat any opponent.

  “The game against Chelsea (gives me belief), the game against Everton, even the game against Galatasaray.

  “So, I know this team can perform really at high levels and it’s not that we did it three months ago. No, we did it last week, so I know we can do it.

  “When we have the right mood, we have the right spirit, it starts with the right attitude, if everyone is ready for it, we are able to do it.”

  United’s previous two Champions League matches have been on the road – a 4-3 defeat to Copenhagen at a rocking Parken Stadium before receiving their ‘Welcome to Hell’ in Turkey a fortnight ago.

  Ten Hag’s men blew a two-goal lead in a frustrating 3-3 draw at hostile Galatasaray and the Red Devils boss stressed the importance of the Old Trafford crowd on Tuesday.

  “I think Old Trafford is not a nice place to come for an opponent, and we are aware of it,” Ten Hag said.

  “It starts with us but then, of course, you hope that the fans we are together.

  “As long as I’m here, I always have the feeling we are absolutely together. There’s a very strong bond between the team and the fans.

  “They’re always behind this, even when we have big setbacks. They’re staying behind us, they’re supporting us, so very happy with that.

  “But we have to take the responsibility. It starts with us, we have to energise them.”

  United are still juggling with a number of key injuries as they prepare to host Bayern and travel to rivals Liverpool on Sunday, with Victor Lindelof a doubt having missed the Bournemouth defeat through injury.

  “It’s a condensed programme, so we have a training (to come),” Ten Hag said.

  “So in this moment, I’m not sure about everyone and who is available for tomorrow.

  “So, a question mark is, for instance, on Victor Lindelof if he can make it or not.

  “We have to wait and to see until tomorrow, then we know.”