Petr Cech has urged Chelsea to be aware of the dangers faced by Manchester United on Sunday.

United have Michael Carrick as caretaker manager, with Ralf Rangnick shortly set to join as interim boss on a six-month contract, and won their first game after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, 2-0 against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.

And Cech, 39, who works as a technical and performance director for the Blues, wrote in his column on the Chelsea website warning Thomas Tuchel’s side not to be complacent against the Red Devils.

He said: ‘We have a saying in Czech: “he new broom sweeps better”. It’s always tricky when you play teams with a new manager. That’s what Manchester United will be hoping for: when you get a change of manager, you always have a reaction.

‘Suddenly, everybody starts from the same spot again. The new manager brings new ideas about the team, the tactics, the strategy. Even if it’s only the manager who has left, and everyone else has stayed in place, you still get the sense of a fresh start.

‘It gives everybody a new incentive and new motivation to perform well. There is a change in energy, and this is what creates difficulty for the team who is facing them.

‘The worry is you might find a team who is more motivated, and gets a bit more confidence at the beginning. Otherwise it’s up to you how well you play, how well you adapt and how well you control the game.’

United were winless in five before Solskjaer was axed, but seemed galvanised against Villarreal, with players like Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial given rare starts, and the sense of positivity around Old Trafford may be reflected on the pitch.

The Blues will be without Ben Chilwell, Mateo Kovacic and probably N’Golo Kante, but striker Romelu Lukaku may return to the squad after injury.