Europa League will make title push tougher, admits Fellaini
Marouane Fellaini believes Manchester United’s chances of winning the Premier League are likely to be hampered by their participation in the Europa League.
United suffered an embarrassingly early Champions League exit on Tuesday when they lost 3- 2 at Wolfsburg.
The board expected Louis van Gaal’s team to go through as group winners, but instead they finished third and the Dutchman now faces the ignominy of leading United in the Europa League instead.
Many teams struggle to deal with the challenge of playing on Thursdays and then on a Sunday. Having been in the Europa League just once in the last 19 years, United are certainly not accustomed to it.
Asked whether playing in the Europa League was likely to affect United’s league form, Fellaini said: “Yes, because when you play Thursday it is closer to the weekend, so it will be tough, but we are there now, in the Europa League, so we have to go there and try to win.
“It’s always difficult ( to drop into the Europa). Everyone wants to be in the Champions League.” Given United’s injury troubles, Van Gaal may struggle to deliver a win at Bournemouth on Saturday night to keep the pressure on Leicester and Manchester City.
Matteo Darmian ( hamstring) and Chris Smalling ( groin) have joined United’s lengthy injury list.
Fellaini admits United – who hit only seven goals in six group games – only have themselves to blame for their exit, saying: “Everyone knows that we should have finished it against PSV Eindhoven.”
Spurs are hoping to beat United to a place in the Premier League’s top four and boss Mauricio Pochettino has warned his rivals they may be in for a shock in the Europa.
He said: “It is a different competition and you have to change your strategy – to play Thursday instead of Tuesday or Wednesday. It is true it can affect your game.
“I think it is a big, big difference. When you play Thursday and you play Sunday it affects the mentality.”
Key defender Winston Reid has added to West Ham’s injury woes after suffering a hamstring injury in training. Manuel Lanzini, Diafra Sakho, Victor Moses and Dimitri Payet are already out.