Manchester United: 3 reasons why the Europa League is important for the Red Devils

Manchester United's solid victory against Leicester City has lifted the club out of a mini-slump. Surprisingly, the result has put United just two points behind Manchester City, following the Sky Blues' defeat at the hands of high flying Norwich City.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United now play front-foot football at a good tempo and press their opponents into mistakes. Moreover, their defending also seems to be taking a turn for the better. However, the biggest takeaway from Ole's short time in charge is the integration of the academy players into the first team.

While playing European football on Thursday nights might not be appealing for a club of United's stature, the Europa League could present Solskjaer with more opportunities to field the youngsters in the side.

Here are three reasons why the Europa League is crucial to Manchester United:

#1 Opportunity to add another trophy to their cabinet

Manchester United's Paul Pogba with the Europa League trophy after beating Ajax

Manchester United should relish the chance to win the Europa League for a second time. It's going to be tough but the club has the European know-how and pedigree to tackle the competition and come out on top.

Moreover, winning the trophy will automatically ensure the club returns to where it belongs - the Champions League - come next season. The race for a Top-4 place in the Premier League could go down to the wire and with several teams in the mix, the Red Devils could be better suited focussing on the Europa League should they fall behind in the race quite early.

#2 Ole's fledglings could feature heavily

Mason Greenwood could get much needed minutes in the Europa League

The Europa League will provide the likes of Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes, Axel Tuanzebe and James Garner with the opportunity to get European experience under their belt which will undoubtedly aid their development. This would also help them stake a claim for a spot in the starting 11 in the Premier League going forward.

#3 Provide the fringe players with one final opportunity to prove themselves

Fred shored up United's midfield in his first appearance of the season

The likes of Fred, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Nemanja Matic will welcome the Europa League. The start of the season has been rough for the aforementioned players as they have either been left out of the match day squads altogether or just named on the bench.

While Fred only joined the club last season, Rojo and Jones have failed to prove themselves despite being provided with plenty of opportunities. They are running out of time and will need to use the Europa League to try and get back in contention for a regular starting spot.

Fred, meanwhile, impressed after coming off the bench against Leicester in a lively cameo and will need to continue in the same vein if he wants to avoid facing the same fate as Romelu Lukaku.

The likes of Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata have also struggled of late and will need to use the Europa League to showcase their talent and prove to their manager that they still belong at the club.