Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warns clubs chasing a top-four finish he WILL have to play weakened teams

Feisty Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warns clubs chasing a top-four finish he WILL have to play weakened teams against their rivals because of an ‘impossible’ fixture pile-up

  • Manchester United face a daunting run of four Premier League matches now
  • The Red Devils begin their brutal eight-day run with Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa
  • They then host Leicester on Tuesday before taking on Liverpool two days later
  • A home clash against Fulham on May 18 completes their daunting fixture list 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has warned he will have to field weakened teams that could affect the battle for Champions League places due to Manchester United‘s fixture pile-up.

Solskjaer is unhappy that United have to play four times in eight days, including two games in the space of 50 hours against top-four rivals Leicester and Liverpool next week.

The United manager insists he will protect his players against the risk of injury and rotate his squad, even if that means upsetting clubs who feel United aren’t putting out their best team.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed he will be forced to field weakened XIs over the next games

Manchester United face a daunting task of four Premier League matches in just eight days

Manchester United face a daunting task of four Premier League matches in just eight days 

Thousands of United supporters held a demonstration against their owners on Sunday

Thousands of United supporters held a demonstration against their owners on Sunday

Some fans broke into the ground and caused the match with Liverpool to be postponed

Some fans broke into the ground and caused the match with Liverpool to be postponed

MAN UTD’S PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE HELL

Sunday – Aston Villa (A), 2.05pm

Tuesday – Leicester (H), 6pm

Thursday – Liverpool (H), 8.15pm

Tuesday, May 18 – Fulham (H), 6pm 

After reaching the Europa League final by overcoming Roma on aggregate on Thursday night, United go to Aston Villa on Sunday followed by Leicester and Liverpool on Tuesday and Thursday.

‘I’ve got to think about my players but I know there will be teams fighting for the Champions League places that will not think that’s Man United’s best team, that’s not the best players,’ said Solskjaer.

‘That might be someone not happy with my team selection for one game or two games. That might affect whoever gets into the fourth position or the Champions League. That’s not my problem, that’s everyone else’s problem.

‘I can promise you that it’s impossible to play 90 minutes at this intensity, at that level in the Premier League four times from Thursday to Thursday. That means I cannot play everyone every minute which means we’ve got to prioritise.’

The likes of Bruno Fernandes will likely be involved in just one clash vs Leicester or Liverpool

The likes of Bruno Fernandes will likely be involved in just one clash vs Leicester or Liverpool

Asked if that could benefit either Liverpool or Leicester, raising issues over the integrity of the competition, Solskjaer replied: ‘Depends what team I put out in what games. One of them might not be happy because I play a full team maybe in one and the next 11 in the other.

‘If I’m going to look after the players, I’m going to make some decisions that will… yeah, of course, we just have to make decisions.

‘It’s got to be safe for the players. We want to try to put a good performance, a good product out there. But I cannot risk them so it has to be rotation – and it has to be a lot of rotation, a lot of decisions made on the day of the game.

‘I just keep my fingers crossed that nobody gets injured. That’s going to be my biggest concern, injuries.

‘Harry Maguire has played every minute for us in the Premier League since he came. I don’t think that’s possible now. That’s another record or another stat he could have been very proud of, but I can’t really see that happening now.’

Captain Harry Maguire is another virtual ever-present who will be forced to miss out one game

Captain Harry Maguire is another virtual ever-present who will be forced to miss out one game

The United manager promised that his team will try to make the best of a bad situation, but is still angry at being handed the exhausting run of games.

‘I’ve never seen that schedule before, not in modern-day football,’ added Solskjaer. ‘I’ve looked through and I know that Man United in 1991-92 had a very similar run-in and you can see how the results deteriorate.

‘So, for me, we’ve been dealt a very bad hand by people who sit behind a desk in their suits who have never played football and understand what this is about.

‘Sunday at 2pm is not the problem, that was always scheduled. Tuesday-Thursday after Thursday-Sunday, that’s a big problem.

Solskjaer is angry at being handed the exhausting run of games as they try to cement second

Solskjaer is angry at being handed the exhausting run of games as they try to cement second

‘We cannot prepare and prep for the game, which every team does – get a week or two or 10 days or five days. This is someone else dealing hands.

‘Two games in three days is difficult but you can accept that we do that at Christmas. Two games in three days after a long season, with all the games we’ve had, is even more difficult. Three games in five days, is very very difficult, almost impossible. Four games in eight, it is impossible.

‘This year has been so difficult, this season has been so difficult. I’m not sitting here sulking but I’m saying someone there does not understand the physicality of the Premier League. It’s the best league in world. I don’t know how you can defend playing these three games in such a short space of time.

‘It’s one of those things that I know my players will take head on and we as a group will be stronger for it when we come out of it.’