Man Utd news: BBC issues apology to Red Devils hero as key player absent from training

Manchester United will have the luxury of watching the weekend’s action unfold as the club prepare to face Brentford on Monday night. A win would virtually cement their place in the Champions League spots. Manager Michael Carrick has led the team’s revival since taking the reins in January. However, the United boss is having to contend with a depleted squad as he approaches the final few games of the season. Centre-back remains a key issue ahead of United hosting the Bees, who are in contention for European football. Ayden Heaven was the only recognised centre-back in the side’s win over Chelsea last weekend, and Carrick was dealt a blow as another defender missed training on Thursday. Elsewhere, United legend Paul Scholes received an apology from the BBC after being spotted enjoying World Snooker Championship action at the Crucible. Here, Mirror Football looks at some of the headlines surrounding the club. FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page Paul Scholes was captured by TV cameras as he watched Ronnie O’Sullivan’s quest to win a record eighth world title. ‘The Rocket’ secured a 10-2 win over China’s He Guoqiang to book his place in the last 16 of the tournament. United icon Scholes was in the crowd as O’Sullivan resumed the match with a 7-2 lead from the first session. The broadcast team jokingly apologised to the 51-year-old after only seeing O’Sullivan in action for the last few frames, which included breaks of 113 and 120. BBC commentator John Parrott quipped: "Paul Scholes might have enjoyed this but he's only going to see three frames of it. Sorry Paul, this man is just too good." Snooker icon Ken Doherty had previously said of Scholes being in attendance: "Fantastic. One great watching another. What a player he was! I know he loves the snooker. A lot of the footballers love to play snooker in their spare time. Great to have him here." Leny Yoro was absent from training on Thursday as United’s defensive issues continued. The France U21 international missed last week’s win over Chelsea, leading full-back Noussair Mazraoui to partner Ayden Heaven at the back. Yoro was one of two centre-backs to miss training as Matthijs de Ligt also remains sidelined. Harry Maguire is set to be available against Brentford but Lisandro Martinez is still suspended. The club’s injury list led to academy player Sonny Aljofree being involved in first team training. The 21-year-old has captained United’s U21 side on several occasions since returning from his loan spell at Notts County in January. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.