Plenty with a point to prove in Euro run

WHILE United have half an eye on next season now their Champions League fate is secured and the transfer window is open, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his squad have to switch back into 2019/20 mode later this week as they prepare for the return of the Europa League.

The Premier League season might be over but European competition remains a target for a number of clubs on the continent, who all head back into Europa League and Champions League activity having seen their domestic competitions finish at different times, or in the case of several clubs, not even restart.

United are one of the clubs that still have to play the second leg of their last16 tie, but having won 5-0 in Austria in their final game before the season was halted, the Old Trafford return on Wednesday is a mere formality.

Several United players go into the Europa League campaign with a point to prove and they’ll be hoping to get the game time to do just that in August.

■ BRANDON WILLIAMS

WITH Luke Shaw now confirmed as being out until next season it’s likely that Williams will be United’s regular left-back during their Europa League run.

The 19-year-old has had a breakthrough season at Old Trafford, having not been expected to play such a prominent role before making his debut in the second half of the EFL Cup game with Rochdale.

Since then there have been 22 starts in all competitions for Williams, but recently he’s not been in quite the same form as he was in his first few months as a United first-team member.

■ SCOTT MCTOMINAY AND FRED

IT feels like McTominay and Fred can be grouped together, given they played so well as a partnership for large parts of the season, but have recently found their places as guaranteed starters disappear.

The duo have started 18 games together this season, despite McTominay missing two months through injury, and their form at the base of United’s midfield was one of the few positives in the first half of the season.

But the return to prominence of Nemanja Matic and to fitness of Paul Pogba have edged both out of the picture. You would expect both to start against LASK Linz next week and given the form of United’s midfield they need to state a more convincing case than against Norwich.

■ JESSE LINGARD

THE Europa League might well act as a shop window for Lingard, who surely needs a fresh start away from Old Trafford this summer after a disappointing 12 months.

It was clear to see that he remains a popular member of the United squad with the players, if not the fans, when scoring at Leicester City on Sunday.

But that was the 27-year-old’s fourth goal in his last 56 appearances for United and he’s been a major disappointment this season.

■ ODION IGHALO