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Manchester United could be set to jet across the world to play lucrative friendlies in order to make up for the absence of Champions League football.

The club's managing director Richard Arnold has revealed that the plan to travel the globe - which was originally touted over the summer - may still come to fruition in the coming months.

The Reds' fixture list for this season looks sparse following their early exit from the Capital One Cup and failure to qualify for European competition.

But they may fill the void by playing exhibition matches that will help keep their large squad fully match fit.

"That's something we continue to look at, as always making sure that the preparations we do on the pitch come first," Arnold told AP.

"For many years of our (pre-season) international tours, there is a plan to ensure we get that team building that goes together with getting the team all together in one place. That's something that's being looked at with regards to the future (friendlies) with Louis (Van Gaal)."

Manager Louis van Gaal was critical of the club's demanding pre-season fixture list, which saw them travel to a number of locations across the United States.

The Dutchman expressed his belief that such a schedule was not helpful to the club's preparations for the new season - but Arnold does not expect a similar problem in the future.

"I can only speak positively of my experience with the manager in terms of his understanding of what's required to get a first-class team onto the pitch and also what's required for running a club of our magnitude," he continued.

"We have a fantastic partnership in terms of our work off the pitch and I'm very appreciative of the support we have had from him."