Manchester United's famous Old Trafford stadium is unlikely to be used as a venue for the 2015 Rugby World Cup due to club concerns over potential damage to a new pitch which will be laid in the close-season.
Rugby World Cup organisers had hoped to hold up to three matches at Old Trafford and are keen to keep Manchester as a host city with Manchester City's Etihad stadium, now said to be under consideration despite not being on the organisers' original list of potential venues.
Old Trafford's removal from the shortlist of host venues is likely to have a knock-on effect on organisers' hopes of generating a 100 million pound profit, as the Etihad's capacity is about 30,000 fewer than Old Trafford's 76,000.
