Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted Manchester United’s planning for next season is "up in the air" with the club still fighting for Champions League qualification.
The United boss said he is planning for a number of different scenarios ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, which is scheduled to start in September, as the Red Devils don’t yet know if they will be competing in the Champions League.
United have four league games left, including a final-day clash against Leicester City, and should they win all their remaining fixtures they will finish in a lucrative top-four spot.
Finishing fifth may also be enough to secure a Champions League position, with the outcome of Manchester City’s appeal against their ban to be given on Monday.
There is also the option of securing a place in the competition by winning the Europa League but the final in Germany will not be played until August 21, giving United very little time to finalise plans ahead of the next season.
Solskjaer explained ahead of United’s clash against Southampton: "There is quite a lot of planning going on. When do we start the league? That is obviously determined by how far we go in Europe, you can't really decide on the training programme.
"There are so many small decisions, transfers are out of our hands as well.
"If the team is going well, what do we need? What don't we need? That's the way we're working and you've got to plan for different scenarios. Uncertainty of dates, how much holiday, what will next season look like? It's a little bit up in the air."
Solskjaer was adamant that the club would not panic buy should United fail to qualify for the Champions League for second season in a row.
"I don't think the club would panic or go crazy with plans that we've already talked about for years to come," he said. "You do have to have a long-term plan but short-term some decisions will be easier to make if you get the Champions League."
United’s next game in their battle to finish in the top four is at Old Trafford on Monday night as they host Southampton and Solskjaer is considering naming an unchanged side for the fifth consecutive league game.
"There are so many things you have to consider when you manage a team and there's a squad of players champing at the bit to play and players in rhythm keep playing well which means less work on the training ground," Solskjaer explained.
"There are loads of decisions to be made but they make it easier by playing and performing well and looking after themselves. We don't get too many injuries, so there's no reason to change too much when you're doing well."
