“We cannot take it for granted”: United star issues rallying cry ahead of crunch Newcastle clash – report

Manchester United’s excellent run since the turn of the year has put them in a good position to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The latest success against Crystal Palace saw them leapfrog Aston Villa into the top three of the Premier League with just ten games remaining.

Should United make the cut, they will return to the top table of European football for the first time since 2023, when they were eliminated in the group stage.

Diogo Dalot confident of qualification

With no European football this year and disastrous cup campaigns, United will play the fewest games in a season for over 100 years.

As reported by The Mirror, Diogo Dalot is well aware of this season’s shortcomings, but it has served to remind him just how important playing in Europe is for a club like United.

“I think seasons like this are good for you to know that when you’re playing Europa League and especially Champions League, those are the best years, those are the best seasons,” he said.

“This year we play, I don’t know, maximum 40 games because we came out of the cups even in the early stage, so this is nowhere near what the club should be and the competitions that we should play in.”

Dalot is full of confidence that United will make the Champions League places come the end of May, with the top five places likely to mean a ticket to Europe’s premier competition.

The Portuguese full-back also warned his teammates that nothing should be a given at Old Trafford and the work does not stop if they make it this season.

“So when we are there, when we get the main goal that I really believe that we’re going to do next season, if we’re playing Champions League, we cannot take it for granted. We need to put the club back in there,” said the defender.

Key cog in Carrick’s wheel

Despite his up-and-down form, Dalot has been almost ever-present for United this season and continues to keep his place under Michael Carrick since the departure of Ruben Amorim.

Erik ten Hag was also a fan of the 26-year-old, who has chalked up over 200 appearances for United during his eight-year spell.

Dalot is set to play a key role in United’s end to the campaign as the team aim to finish as high up the league table as possible.

United travel to Newcastle tomorrow (Wednesday) evening for what looks like a crucial fixture against Eddie Howe’s men in their bid to further stretch the gap between themselves and their top four rivals.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

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