I’ve read that we did enquire about it but were told no so we got on with it. It does seem though that our concern was less an issue with being able to put out a team that day (as were most complaints from other teams), but of the general concern for the other players once you’ve already got 4 positive cases. This, and Utd’s complaint of having their entire complex closed down the day before a game, seem far more legit reasons than the case of simply missing a handful of player given the size of squads and availability of youth players these days.
I dont know who is old enough to remember this, but Fergie’s first ride with his academy players came the generation before the class of 94 - Lee Sharpe, Beardsmore, Martin, Robbins - and these kids all got thrown in one year, maybe 1990 because of a flu outbreak that saw them have to play 6 or 7 kids in one game.