Sir Alex Ferguson set to miss Man United clash with Brentford in first match since legendary manager’s ambassadorial contract was axed

Sir Alex Ferguson will miss Manchester United’s match with Brentford on Saturday, the club’s first game since his ambassadorial contract was axed.

Man United’s minority owners Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe took the decision to rip up Ferguson’s £2million-a-year contract as part of cost cutting measures.

The 82-year-old has a prior engagement leading to his absence from Old Trafford on Saturday.  

It remains to be seen how often he returns to the club where he became the greatest manager in United’s history, delivering 38 trophies over 26 years.

Mail Sport reported this week that Ferguson and other members of the club’s Football Board have also been told to stay away from the dressing room in a break with tradition.

The match at Old Trafford is the first since Sir Jim Ratcliffe, right, ended an ambassadorial deal 

Erik ten Hag admits the decision to rip up Ferguson’s contract will have big impact at the club

Man United boss Erik ten Hag hailed the impact of Ferguson when asked about the legendary boss on Friday.

‘Of course it has an impact on us,’ said Ten Hag. ‘Sir Alex is Man United. He built United to where the club is now, and it impacts us.

‘But on the other side, we know and Sir Alex knows, that is what he wants. He wants to see a winning Manchester United and I’m sure he’s always available for advice. We will need him, definitely, in the short-term, as we did in the last two-and-a-half years that I’ve been here.

‘One thing for sure is that there’s almost no club in the world where expectations are as high as at Man United. That is set from the era of Sir Alex, and the rest of us who come after have to deal with this.’

The decision to end Ferguson’s lucrative ambassadorial role has split opinions.

Writing in his Mail Sport column on Friday, Graeme Souness suggested the decision was a ‘disgraceful move’ and highlighted that Man United’s minority owners Ineos ‘don’t understand how football really works’.

Former United striker Eric Cantona was a vocal critic of the move this week.

Cantona said: ‘Sir Alex Ferguson should be able to do anything he wants at the club until the day he dies.

‘Such a lack of respect. It’s totally scandalous. Sir Alex Ferguson will be my boss forever! And I throw them all in a big bag of s***!’

It remains to be seen how often Ferguson will return to the club where he became the greatest manager in United’s history

Man United’s match with Brentford could be a key one for under-pressure boss Ten Hag

Sources insist the meeting was entirely amicable and that Ferguson, who will keep his title as a non-executive director, remains a close friend of the club who will always be welcome at Old Trafford.

For the last 11-and-a-half years, Ferguson’s duties have included representing United all over the world, as well as match-day hospitality with the club’s partners and sponsors at Old Trafford, and appearing on promotional videos.

The Scot has been a regular spectator at home and away games, apart the period after he suffered a life-threatening brain haemorrhage in 2018 and following the death of his wife, Lady Cathy, a year ago.

He has often been seen sitting next to Ratcliffe in the directors’ box and chatting with the Ineos owner since he paid £1.3billion to acquire 27.7 per cent of the club.

Man United face a crunch match with Brentford on Saturday as doubts persist over the future of Ten Hag.

The Red Devils have endured their worst start to a Premier League season with eight points from their opening seven matches of the campaign.