Manchester United issued brutal Chelsea warning before Tottenham fixture

Manchester United have been told that failure to get a result at Chelsea this weekend could be fatal to their hopes of reaching the top four this season.

United currently sit just outside the Champions League places in the Premier League table. After a ropey start to the campaign, Erik ten Hag has managed to steady the ship at Old Trafford.

However, according to Rangers legend Ally McCoist, United cannot afford to lose at Stamford Bridge on Saturday if they wish to make European football's elite competition next season. "It’s so close right now," McCoist told Grosvenor Sport.

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"It’s Arsenal, [Manchester] City, Tottenham, Chelsea and just below that you have Brighton and Man United. Nobody has really been talking about Newcastle and it’ll be too much for them to get top four, but they forced United into dropping two points yesterday [Sunday].

"United travelling to Chelsea won’t be the be-all and end-all but I think these games are the types of games where Graham Potter can establish his Chelsea side as a top-three team. Whereas United have got to get something from that game if they want a top-four finish."

Despite it being such a huge game in the context of United's season, the club will only be backed by 2,370 instead of the initial allocation 2,994. This decision was made due to police concerns.

The Manchester United Supporter's Trust (MUST) had threatened legal action against the authorities after United were forced to take away tickets from 600 supporters who had already purchased them. However, in a statement on Tuesday, MUST rowed back on this action.

"With the game now only five days away, pursuing it now would risk creating more uncertainty for match-going fans