United and City facing a two-week pre-season
CITY and United may face the prospect of having just two weeks to prepare for the start of the next Premier League season if they reach the final of their European competitions.
The Champions League and Europa League showpieces were originally supposed to be played at the end of May, but with the havoc caused by the coronavirus pandemic UEFA suspended their competitions indefinitely.
As major leagues across Europe begin playing again, UEFA hope to finish their competitions by the end of August.
But with a tentative September 12 date set for the start of next season’s Premier League, it could leave clubs with little time to recover and prepare ahead of the new campaign if they advance to the final of the Champions League or Europa League.
City hold a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid after a famous comeback at the Bernabeu in the first leg of their last-16 tie and will be confident of defeating Los Blancos at the Etihad.
Yet if they were to reach the final it would hand title rivals Liverpool a great advantage going into next season, as Jurgen Klopp’s men would have a full six weeks off having been knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid.
United are in a similar predicament as they stand a good chance of making the Europa League final - which could take place on August 25. A place in the quarter-finals is all but confirmed after a 5-0 drubbing of LASK in their last-16 first leg before football was suspended.
Fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Wolves are also still in Europe.