Rooney will turn out for United’s under-21s on Monday

Manchester United’s players will be forced to take a pay cut next season if they do not qualify for the Champions League, The Times can reveal.

The players and coaching staff stand to lose about £14 million if they fail to finish in the top four of the Barclays Premier League this season. That works out at about £500,000 per player.

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Louis van Gaal, the United manager, heads to Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow knowing that defeat will leave his team four points adrift of the Champions League places if, as expected, Manchester City beat West Bromwich Albion this evening.

Failing to return to Europe’s top table would be a blow to the credibility of the