Manchester United's Champions League bus departs for Donetsk without Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling
Manchester United duo Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling were almost forced to miss tonight's Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk after the team bus left them behind at United's Carrington training ground.
The Red Devils squad departed for the airport yesterday with the two England players still in the building at Carrington, before they raised the alarm and the coach made an about-turn to pick up the stranded stars.
United have launched an investigation into how it happened, with a source telling the Manchester Evening News: "The security firm United employ, CES, are supposed to check the numbers.
"They have a bloke with a clipboard who stands at the front and ticks all the players and staff off a list.
"He said that they were all on board and they set off down the lane and out past the barrier.
"Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling then came running out of the main building.
"Apparently Chris had gone pale and asked where the coach was. When he was told it had gone he said 'we were supposed to be on it'.
"They managed to get a message to the coach and it came back and picked them up.
"The other players were laughing their heads off. You couldn't make it up."
Manchester United declined to comment on the matter and face Shakhtar tonight, with Welbeck expect to be on the bench and Smalling in contention to start in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.
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Manchester United duo Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling were almost forced to miss tonight's Champions League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk after the team bus left them behind at United's Carrington training ground.
The Red Devils squad departed for the airport yesterday with the two England players still in the building at Carrington, before they raised the alarm and the coach made an about-turn to pick up the stranded stars.
United have launched an investigation into how it happened, with a source telling the Manchester Evening News: "The security firm United employ, CES, are supposed to check the numbers.
"They have a bloke with a clipboard who stands at the front and ticks all the players and staff off a list.
"He said that they were all on board and they set off down the lane and out past the barrier.
"Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling then came running out of the main building.
"Apparently Chris had gone pale and asked where the coach was. When he was told it had gone he said 'we were supposed to be on it'.
"They managed to get a message to the coach and it came back and picked them up.
"The other players were laughing their heads off. You couldn't make it up."
Manchester United declined to comment on the matter and face Shakhtar tonight, with Welbeck expect to be on the bench and Smalling in contention to start in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand.
Check out all the latest News, Sport & Celeb gossip at Mirror.co.uk http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...#ixzz2gfow6XGq
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
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