Manchester United are not ready to play in Europe and need more time to build a solid base to be competitive in the Champions League, coach Ruben Amorim said on Tuesday.
United, who finished 15th in the Premier League last season, missed out on the chance to qualify for Europe's top club competition when they lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in May.
"I think we were not prepared to play in Europe, that is my feeling. To have strong games in the Champions League and then play Premier League, we need time to develop as a team," Amorim told reporters ahead of Wednesday's League Cup second-round tie at fourth-tier Grimsby Town.
Ruben Amorim has managed more games than points collected with Man United 😳 pic.twitter.com/oF8Iuc7OwF
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"So (the players) need to fight for their places, and then everything can change."
United have failed to win in their first two Premier League games this season, having lost their opening match 1-0 at home to Arsenal before being held 1-1 at Fulham on Sunday.
Amorim blamed his team's defensive mindset for surrendering the lead against Fulham, stressing the players must improve.
"The games are really, really competitive. We need time to build the base and then, in the future, to move forward. We will reach a moment where we need to have Europe for everybody to play games," Amorim said.
The Portuguese coach added that defender Noussair Mazraoui, who picked up an injury in pre-season, could be back next week.
"Maybe he is going to return next week, we will see. But he's near, we are just finishing some drills with him, to (be) assured that he's not going to have another problem," he said.