Manager Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United's two-legged Europa League play-off fixture in February will serve as an opportunity for his players to continue their development.
United, who will be looking to record a fourth successive victory in all competitions when they travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, missed out on top spot in Group E on Thursday evening, despite beating Real Sociedad 1-0 in their final group game in San Sebastian. They needed to win by two clear goals to top the group, meaning they narrowly missed out on top spot and an automatic path to the last-16.
Instead, the Reds must navigate their way through a two-legged play-off round against a third-placed Champions League side to reach the next stage of the competition. The draw will be made this coming Monday and they could be pitted up against one of the likes of Ajax, Barcelona or Juventus.
