Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows the longer Manchester United are out of the Champions League the more they will “suffer”.

The Red Devils are preparing to take on Club Brugge in the Europa League round of 32 on Thursday night, having missed out on a ticket to European football’s top table by slumping home sixth in the Premier League last season.

Failing to make it into the Champions League again will make it even harder for United to attract elite-level reinforcements this summer, while the financial impact is already being felt.

“He’s a player who likes to play penetrative passes, forward passes, likes to take risks, which a Man United player should do.

“His imagination or his overview and his picture is a couple of seconds ahead of many players and that’s one of strengths, knowing what he wants to do next time he gets it.

“But he can also change his mind in a split-second, so if that picture doesn’t work he’ll change it and that composure has been important.”