Erik ten Hag is about to find out just how good his Manchester United squad really is

When the full-time whistle is sounded at the end of Thursday's Europa League showdown with Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova, Manchester United will have 17 days to prepare for the derby with Manchester City.

Sunday's scheduled clash with Leeds United at Old Trafford has been postponed due to insufficient policing being available, with thousands of extra police offers set to be redeployed to London ahead of the Queen's funeral on Monday. It means United's first international break of the season will commence sooner than expected.

But while several members of the squad will be jetting off to different corners of the globe to link-up with their international colleagues, some players, as well as Erik ten Hag, are expected to remain in Manchester, using the time to reflect on the campaign so far and plan for what lies ahead.

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The short trip across town to the Etihad on October 2 will mark the beginning of a relentless period, with October boasting no less than nine fixtures in the space of just 29 days. It is a period that will push United's players to the very maximum of their physical and mental capabilities.

While the task of navigating nine matches in less than a month promises to put any club under a strain, United have the added task of European football to cope with as well, but fortunately they only have one Europa League away trip to make in October - a visit to Cyprus to face Omonia Nicosia inside the first week. That, though, does not make the task much easier, as the fixtures come thick and fast.

Fortunately, after the trip to Cyprus, three of United's next four matches are at Old Trafford, with their only away trip requiring them