Leicester City may be able to take advantage of a Manchester United side who Gary Neville believes should be putting all of their energy and focus into the Europa League.
City host Ruud van Nistelrooy’s former club this Sunday with the need for victories growing ever more desperate in their Premier League relegation fight.
But while preparations for that game are already under way for City, United have another match to think about first.
On Thursday night, they will host Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, and they need a win, having drawn the first leg 1-1.
For Neville, Europe now has to take precedence over the Premier League for United, with the club in the bottom half and unlikely to challenge for European qualification through their finishing position.
But the former England right-back also believes United have to improve if they’re going to get close to winning the competition.
In any case, if United are mentally and physically burned out by Thursday’s game, especially if it goes the distance with extra-time and penalties, then City may feel they can take advantage on Sunday.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “There’s this feeling that United and Tottenham are going to end up in the final of the Europa League.
"They’re going to have to start playing an awful lot better than they are because of the other teams in this competition. Anybody who’s half-decent and half-organised… Don’t be surprised if Real Sociedad come here on Thursday and have a lot of joy.
“I do actually think United will go through, but they’re going to have to improve their levels enormously if they want to win the Europa League.
“To prioritise it? What other option has he (manager Ruben Amorim) got because it's the only trophy he can win.
“They're not going to go down because they're too far away from relegation, so the league, other than pride, is a case of getting through it as quickly as you possibly can.”
City could be nine points from safety by the time they kick-off against United at 7pm on Sunday, with 17th-placed Wolves hosting bottom side Southampton on Saturday.
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