Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim invited an eight-year-old member of the club's academy to watch the first team's open training session at Carrington on Wednesday morning.

United's players trained in front of the media as they stepped up their preparations for Thursday night's penultimate Europa League league phase clash with Rangers at Old Trafford.

The academy member, who is currently recovering from a broken leg, was invited by Amorim to watch United's senior stars train in a bid to lift his spirits.

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He watched the team train alongside United assistant boss Carlos Fernandes. Other staff members approached him and chatted to him warmly following the conclusion of the session.

Ahead of every European fixture, as per Uefa protocol, the media are invited to attend an open training session at Carrington. That opportunity is often followed by the pre-match press conference.

Marcus Rashford was involved in the open training session, meaning he could be involved in the matchday squad against the Gers for the first time since he was an unused substitute for the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on December 30. He last played for United when they beat Viktoria Plzen in their most recent Europa League outing on December 12.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News on Monday, Rashford remains available for selection amid ongoing speculation concerning his future ahead of the transfer window closing in just under a fortnight's time.

Rashford's ongoing absence was raised in Amorim's post-match press conference following Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Brighton and the United head coach said: "It's his choice."

The attacker is understood to have completed additional training sessions during his absence from the team. Elsewhere, defender Victor Lindelof featured in the training session following a recent injury.