Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim believes his side could benefit from the absence of European football this season, Afrosport reports.
United endured a disappointing campaign last term, finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final. As a result, the Red Devils will miss out on European competition for only the second time since English clubs returned to UEFA tournaments following a five-year ban that ended in 1990.
Meanwhile, United must begin their League Cup campaign a round earlier than usual, starting with Wednesday’s trip to League Two side Grimsby — their first meeting since 1948.
Yet Amorim views this as a minor setback compared to the advantage of free midweeks, which he believes will be vital in developing his squad and building consistency throughout the season.
“We were not prepared to play in Europe and the Premier League,” Amorim admitted. “We need time to develop as a team.
“We need time to build a base and then, in the future, to move forward. We will reach a moment where we need to have Europe so everybody can play games.”
The last time United entered the League Cup at the second-round stage was in 2014 — a night that ended in embarrassment with a 4-0 defeat to then League One side MK Dons.
Amorim, meanwhile, is expected to make changes for the trip to Grimsby following Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham.
“We have three games this week and we have quality players, so we need rotation to try to win every game,” he said.
England duo Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire are in line to start at Blundell Park, while Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and goalkeeper Andre Onana could also feature from the start.
United have taken just one point from their opening two Premier League fixtures and will be eager to secure their first win of the season against a Grimsby side who sit three divisions below them. Amorim’s men then return to league duty on Saturday with a home clash against Burnley, before heading into September’s international break.
