Carrick Orders Entire Old Trafford Squad to Train on Rooftop Pitch Built Above Stadium

Manchester United have moved their entire first-team training programme onto a steel pitch built across the roof of the Old Trafford stands, the club confirmed on Tuesday, after head coach Michael Carrick ordered that every session before the Roma match be held at height.

The pitch, assembled over four nights by a contractor working under club supervision, measures the full length of the South Stand and is ringed by netting bolted to the upper tier. Players now warm up by climbing a staircase from the dressing rooms, a route the club describes as a fitness requirement rather than an inconvenience. Ground staff have been relocated to the Stretford End, where they now maintain the grass beneath the roof by hand, a task the club says will continue until the pressure on the head coach has eased.

Carrick told reporters that the decision was taken to prepare the squad for the conditions of a long European night. «We cannot pick the weather in Rome or Manchester, so we have chosen to train above it,» he said. «The players have adapted quickly. Two have asked whether the pitch can be extended toward the Scoreboard End, and we are considering it.»

The Roma coaching staff were informed of the arrangement through the usual channels and have sent a request to view the rooftop facilities before kick-off. The club's academy has announced that all under-18 players will train on the roof from next week, and a ticket office worker has been reassigned to supervise the stairs.

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