Mauricio Pochettino on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's mind as Manchester United prepare for Sheffield United trip

United will be without midfielders Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba, who are recovering from ankle injuries

Marcus Rashford, left, has given his backing to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United manager with Mauricio Pochettino suddenly becoming available. AFP

The sudden availability of Mauricio Pochettino will be in the back of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's mind as Manchester United prepare for Sunday's trip to Sheffield United.

Pochettino was linked to the Old Trafford job last season when Jose Mourinho was removed from his post. Solskjaer got the United job on a permanent basis after impressing during his stint as interim coach.

And now, Mourinho has replaced Pochettino at Spurs, which is certain to put some pressure on Solskjaer as United struggle to keep pace with the Premier League's top contenders. United are seventh in the table with 16 points from 12 matches.

However, Solskjaer insisted in his pre-match news conference he is not worried about Pochettino's sudden availability.

"It doesn't bother me at all. I've got the best job in the world," Solskjaer said.

“If you’re in a job, or if you’re out of a job and you’re a manager, you want this job. It doesn’t matter whatever happens around it. I’ve got to focus on my job and do it as well as I can.

“I speak with [executive vice-chairman] Ed Woodward and the owners all the time about how we’re going to move the club forward. That doesn’t change if some other clubs change their managers.”

Solskjaer did receive some heartening news with striker Marcus Rashford giving the Norwegian his backing.

“Ole is a great guy and he has the club’s interests at heart so there’s not a better person for the job in my opinion,” Rashford told Sky Sports.

Rashford said Solskjaer's vision for the club was one of the main reasons he decided to extend his contract at Old Trafford.

“I could see where his head was at, where he wanted the club to be at and for me it was just a no-brainer,” the 22-year-old England international said.

“We were on the same page and wanted the same things for the club ... There was no hesitation from me over signing a new contract.”

As far as the match is concerned, United will have to manage without midfielders Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba against the fifth-placed Blades as the two continue to recover from ankle injuries.

“Scott will be out for a little while, still. He’s not been training with us ... hopefully, we can see him around the time of Tottenham or Manchester City next month,” Solskjaer said.

“[Pogba] had another test and a scan at the start of the international break and he’s not healed yet. But he’s stepping up his recovery and he’s out of a cast.

“He was in one for six or seven weeks. You do lose loads of muscle so he’s gradually stepping up walking on the treadmill, biking with a free ankle. It will still be a few weeks. We hope to see him in 2019.”