Manchester United could face a fixture NIGHTMARE in the new year after failure to top their Europa League group added two more games to a packed schedule… as progress in the domestic cups could see Erik ten Hag’s squad stretched to the limit

Manchester United face the prospect of fixture chaos in the new year after failing to top their Europa League group.

Although Erik ten Hag’s side defeated Real Sociedad 1-0 on Thursday night, they did not claim the victory by a two-goal margin to leapfrog the Spanish club and finish first.

That means they face a two-legged play-off round tie against a Champions League drop-out on February 16 and 23.

With the likes of Barcelona, Juventus and Sevilla as potential opponents, that will be tricky enough but United will encounter a nightmare schedule if they advance far in Europe and the domestic cups.

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United saw two Premier League matches postponed because of the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

Dates still need to be found for their visit to Crystal Palace and a home game against Leeds United.

But every single weekend and midweek fixture slot between the start of January and the end of the season is accounted for and progress in every competition for United will make it tricky to reschedule these two games.

As pointed out by ESPN’s Dale Johnson on Twitter, all remaining midweeks in a season interrupted by the Qatar World Cup are taken up by Europa League fixtures, potential FA Cup replays, Carabao Cup dates or Premier League catch-up dates already built in to the calendar.

In the FA Cup, replays remain until the fourth round but thereafter games are settled with extra time and penalties on the day. But the fifth round is scheduled for midweek anyway.

A full round of Premier League games has been scheduled for the weekends of the FA Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals, meaning more United games would have to be rearranged if they’re still in the cup.

Should they also reach the final of the Carabao Cup on February 26, another Premier League fixture would have to be rescheduled.

This doesn’t even consider the possibility that Palace or Leeds advance in the cup competitions or have to play a replay.

If United, Leeds and Palace all get eliminated from the Carabao Cup third round next week, then these outstanding league fixture could be played in January alongside the two-legged Carabao Cup semi-finals.

But this would need United to lose at home to Aston Villa, Leeds to Wolves and Palace to Newcastle in order to ease the logjam.

Assuming that United continue to advance in all their competitions, midweeks in January would see a Carabao Cup quarter-final, a possible FA Cup third round replay and then the two legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

February is even tighter, with a possible FA Cup fourth round replay for them, Leeds or Palace, the two legs of their Europa League play-off round and the midweek fifth round of the FA Cup.

March would see the Europa League last-16 should they get that far before the season pauses for the first set of Euro 2024 qualifiers.

A vacant midweek to slot in Premier League games that need to be rearranged – such as the one that clashes with the Carabao Cup final – is pencilled in for April 4.

That would be followed by European quarter-finals and a midweek Premier League round.

May does have two vacant midweek slots for rearranged games but, as mentioned, these could be occupied because of FA Cup progress, as well as a potential European semi-finals.

Elimination from any of the competitions would free up space but if United have a successful season, they could well be forced to play four games in seven days to complete their league programme, stretching their squad to the limit.

Regardless, their failure to top their Europa League group has just added to their workload for 2023.