Phil Neville has admitted that he worries that the pressure of securing a Champions League spot could derail Manchester United in Wednesday's Europa League final against Ajax in Stockholm.
Jose Mourinho's men failed to grab a place in the top four of the Premier League table, eventually settling for sixth.
If they get beaten by Ajax in this week's showpiece, they face another campaign without European football, and Neville, who came through the ranks at United, is concerned about the weight on their shoulders.
"My fear for Manchester United in the Europa League final is they are weighed down by the pressure of having to win it to get into next season's Champions League," Neville wrote for BBC Sport.
"If United were heading to Stockholm having already qualified by finishing in the Premier League top four on top of having the EFL Cup in the bag, then I think their players would be a lot more relaxed.
"Instead, all of United's eggs are now in one basket. The outcome of Wednesday's game feels like a matter of life and death for them, which is a dangerous situation to be in against a really good young Ajax team."
If United fail in Stockholm, they will still end the season with a trophy following their EFL Cup triumph in February.
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