Strictly speaking the artificial pitch in question belongs to Den Haag – the game is at a borrowed venue because of storm damage at Alkmaar’s own ground – but Solskjær is something of an expert on artificial turf and confessed he would not have risked the player anyway. “After discussions with the specialist we decided Paul’s ankle injury would benefit from further treatment and rest, but I wouldn’t have risked him on AstroTurf anyway,” the United manager said. “I’m surprised AZ have chosen to play in this pitch, to be honest. Coming from Norway I’m used to AstroTurf pitches and this is not one of the best I’ve seen, it’s actually one of the worst. The artificial surfaces we have in Norway are a lot more modern.

Source: The Guardian October 02, 2019 18:29 UTC