Breaking news: Harry maguire sends a message to Ralf Ragnick after lose to Newcastle United draw ,as the set to appoint new captain , will this guy he a good captain?

 Skipper Harry Maguire admitted a 16-day

 Covid-19 break had done Manchester 

United no favours after they salvaged a 

1-1 draw at Premier League strugglers 

Newcastle.

The Red Devils needed a 71st-equalizer

 from half-time substitute Edinson Cavani 

to emerge with anything to show for their 

efforts at St James' Park on Monday night

 as interim manager Ralf Rangnick was 

forced to abandon his favoured 4-2-2-2 

formation, and were indebted to goalkeeper

 David De Gea for a series of fine saves.

It was their first outing for 16 days after 

a coronavirus outbreak which prompted the

 club to close their Carrington training 

complex - Victor Lindelof was absent 

on Tyneside after testing positive - but 

it was the lowly Magpies, playing for the fourth

 time in 16 days and depleted by Covid 

and injuries, who very nearly secured just

 a second win of the campaign.

Maguire told Manchester United's official

 website: 'No 16-day break in the middle 

of a football season is going to help you.

'The training ground has been shut and 

half the lads playing today are recovering 

from the virus, so of course it's not going

 to help us.

'We've had people with symptoms, people

 without symptoms - it's been a real mixed 

bag for everyone at the football club and 

it's been a tough time.

‘But you can't make excuses for sloppy 

passes and the opportunities that we had, 

especially in the first half.

'We've got to stay on the ball, we've got 

to stay active and we've got to play the

 ball in their half and we didn't manage 

to do that.

'You can look at that and ask whether

 the last 16 days had a big impact on that 

because it looked like we ran out of 

steam out there.

'A point in the end is a fair result, but it's

 a result that we're disappointed with.'

Rangnick's men fell behind to Allan Saint

-Maximin's superb seventh-minute opener

 and were criminally negligent in possession

 as they attempted to work their way 

back into the game.

Cavani and Jadon Sancho were introduced

 at the break with Fred and Mason 

Greenwood making way in a change of 

shape and the Uruguay international 

struck with 19 minutes remaining to snatch

 a point.

However, Jacob Murphy was denied 

by a post and Miguel Almiron by a stunning

 De Gea save as time ran down to leave

 the visitors counting their blessings.

Maguire added: 'David's on great form 

at the minute. In big moments - it always 

seems to be late on in games that he's 

always there to produce for us.'

The draw left United seven points adrift

 of fourth-placed Arsenal with two games

 in hand ahead of Thursday's clash with

 Burnley at Old Trafford, although Maguire

 is convinced they will be better for a 

tough evening in the north east.

He said: 'I'm sure 90 minutes will have 

benefitted every single player out there.

'The Burnley game and the Wolves 

game are coming up thick and fast and 

we've got to play better than we have done

 tonight to make sure we get three points.'