Manchester United have written to the Russian ice hockey team who lost 36 players and officials in a plane crash on Tuesday.

Chief executive David Gill has offered condolences on behalf of the club following the tragedy, which has similarities with the Munich air disaster of 1958 which saw United lose eight players and three members of staff among the 23 dead.

Russian ice hockey officials have since called on other teams to allow players to play for Lokomotiv in an attempt to /ice-hockey/news/russian-ice-hockey-crash-team-to-be-re-built_3134.html">rebuild the team.