We do not yet know when our home game with Leeds United is being played but there is a torturous 22-day delay after Bournemouth before we are provisionally due to face the Yorkshiremen on 11 April. Obviously, that could be extended slightly further.
And I think this will prove a bigger examination of our Champions League credentials. How do we handle such a lengthy gap and then look to kick on again for the home straight?
More games allow the chance to keep the rhythm going, strengthen on-field connections, maintain morale and utilise more members of the squad. Everybody wants United to return to Europe and we are a club that not only demands it but is built to handle such a calendar.
I do not see it as some huge disadvantage for any of the other sides, being preoccupied by Champions League and Europa League ties, or the FA Cup, and it surely will not mean they are flagging at the business end of the campaign, while United are simply as fresh as daisies.
Considering the position where we finished last term, clinching a Champions League slot would be a great achievement and there should not be any attempts to downplay it or exaggerate some perceived advantage in this race.
There is a long way to go and much work to be done before anybody is getting carried away.
The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.