Manchester United's miserable stars arrive at the Lowry hotel ahead of Middlesbrough FA Cup tie

Manchester United can finally turn their attention to matters on the pitch on Friday night after a turbulent week at Old Trafford.

Striker Mason Greenwood was arrested last Sunday for allegations of of assault, sexual assault and making threats to kill to an 18-year-old woman. He has been released on bail but United have said he will not train or play for them until further notice.

On Thursday, midfielder Jesse Lingard openly defied interim manager Ralf Rangnick after he said the 29-year-old had asked to be left out the squad for the FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough.

Rangnick said Lingard asked for a couple days off to 'clear his mind'. The England international had been pushing for a January move away from Old Trafford but a transfer never occurred on deadline day.

Lingard then took to Twitter to reject Rangnick's claims, saying: 'The club advised me to have time off due to personal reasons! But my headspace is clear and I’ll always be professional when called upon and give 100 percent.'

And the United squad appeared to cut a frosty mood as they arrived at the Lowry on Friday afternoon to prepare for their cup tie against Championship side Middlesbrough, managed by Chris Wilder.

Paul Pogba was pictured arriving in the squad and the France international could make his long awaited return to first-team action after injuring his thigh on international duty last November.

Pogba, like Lingard, is out of contract in the summer and previewing Friday's match Rangnick drew comparisons between the two situations.

'His (Lingard’s) situation is similar to Paul Pogba’s,’ said Rangnick. ‘It's in his own interests to perform on the highest possible level in order to get as many clubs interested in him in the summer.'

Cristiano Ronaldo was also seen with the team and the Portuguese star will be looking to show he is back to full fitness after a minor thigh issue. Ronaldo was furious to have been substituted by Rangnick in the 3-1 win over Brentford in January, with the United interim boss looking to keep him fresh.

Rangnick needs United to now do their talking on the pitch. After Friday's cup tie, they then have five winnable Premier League games against Burnley, Southampton, Brighton, Leeds and Watford.

A winning run could banish, at least for the time being, United's woes as they look to cement a top four place and a spot in next season's Champions League.

But for now, attention is on the FA Cup - a competition they are among the favourites to win.