Just when Manchester United appeared to be building momentum after a mediocre start to the domestic season, a woeful exit from the Champions League has left manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer facing flak once again.

Which means the stakes are even higher than usual for Saturday’s home derby against Manchester City.

Four successive league wins have pushed United from the lower depths of the table into sixth place, one spot above Pep Guardiola’s City, who are slowly beginning to tick.

Yet Tuesday’s 3-2 capitulation in Leipzig, when a draw would have sent them into the Champions League last 16, has tarnished United’s impressive turnaround and the rumour mill about who is being lined up to replace Solskjaer has re-started.

United are looking to win three successive Premier League games against City since 2010, smoothing the waters somewhat for Solskjaer.

The problem is their home form is lamentable this season. They have four points from five games at Old Trafford and Solskjaer would hope the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford can redeem that.

The manager would have something to cheer about after Rashford, who is drawing interest from some of Europe’s top outfits, said he wants to be a one-club man.

Rashford came out of United’s academy and scored twice on his senior debut in the Europa League in 2016 at the age of 18. He now has 77 goals in 232 club appearances.

“For me, I never look beyond Manchester United,” Rashford told the Sports Journalists’ Association. “As a kid I’ve never looked beyond Manchester United in my mind, it wouldn’t sit right for me to be pulling on another shirt.”