MANCHESTER UNITED legend Paul Scholes reckons a top-four spot is assured after looking at the Red Devils’ “favourable” run-in.
Former England midfielder Scholes has studied United‘s remaining nine fixtures and is convinced they can secure Champions League football.
It starts off with the tough trip to Spurs to face old boss Jose Mourinho’s side.
But apart from a trip to Leicester, they are all potentially winnable matches with games against relegation-threatened West Ham, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Brighton, as well as teams with nothing to play for like Crystal Palace and Southampton.
United are in action away to Tottenham on June 19.
Scholes sees no reason why they cannot usurp Chelsea in fourth spot.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men are currently three points adrift of the West Londoners.
Scholes was asked by MUTV if he was confident of a top-four spot – and he thinks with new signings Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo, plus Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba returning from injury, it’s in the bag.
He said: “Yes I am. I think if we didn’t have this break, I think we were certainties to get it.
“Our fixtures do look quite favourable. Fingers crossed we’ll come back in the same vein of form and hopefully get that Champions League spot at the end of the year.
“I think we’ll be fine. We’ve got big players coming back into the team, which we didn’t have in Marcus and Paul coming back into the squad.
“If they can come back, hit the ground running I think they’ve got every chance.
“It’d be great to get to an FA Cup final as well. Although it’ll probably be a little bit strange with no fans there. But still, it’s a trophy and you’d like to win it.”
The Premier League was put on hold in early March but is set to return on June 17.
Rashford says United have looked even stronger since the coronavirus lockdown.
Striker Rashford, 22, is adamant from the few training sessions so far that Solskjaer’s men are in peak condition and have clearly kept themselves in excellent shape during the shutdown.
They could also clinch a Champions League spot with fifth place if the decision to ban neighbours Manchester City for two years is upheld and they finish below their rivals.
Rashford suffered a double stress fracture in January but is looking in red-hot form ahead of the resumption as United look to stretch their astonishing 11-match unbeaten run.
He told United fanzine Stretty News: “I think coming out of this lockdown we are in a much stronger position than we were going into it.
“I think we just need to take each game as it comes and not get too ahead of ourselves. We are working hard in training, gelling as a team with players coming back from injury, etc.
“For me personally, I felt I was having my best season to date before the injury hit so now I’m back fully fit I’m determined to push on.”
Rashford had score 22 goals in 37 appearances before his injury.
