Why Man Utd have launched a complaint to the Premier League over their fixture schedule as mid-season Saudi friendlies are thrown into doubt - explained

In the time between now and Christmas, United will host Everton, West Ham and Bournemouth. However, the club are unhappy with the scheduling, given both the Everton and Bournemouth games have been shifted to Monday night kick-offs that they can be shown on television. The clash with the Hammers falls in the usual round of fixtures held in midweek in early December.

On weekends, United will travel to Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Aston Villa. The Red Devils are unhappy and believe their fans are being treated unfairly compared with other clubs in the division.

The Athletic report that United CEO Omar Berrada has had words with the Premier League CEO Richard Masters about the Red Devils’ disgruntlement.

At the root of United's complaint is the treatment of their loyal supporters. Berrada and the club's hierarchy wanted to point out that their fans will be the ones made to suffer, given the long-distance travel and potential accommodation needed impacting the lives and pockets of the fans.

The Athletic report details that United also requested a change in how fixtures are scheduled, demanding a decision on which games will be selected for television to come far earlier than it currently is. The club want to ensure that fans can be prepared for any changes to dates and times and make necessary adjustments and plans in advance of the festive period.

The complaint came after the Manchester United Fans’ Forum established their concerns and put them to the club in a letter. The Red Devils then shared the concerns of their supporters over the difficulty of travelling in midweek, rather than the weekend, particularly closer to Christmas.

The concerns of the club come amid United plans to fly to the Middle East to take on a number of sides mid-season in a handful of lucrative, but ultimately meaningless, friendlies. United, whose financial difficulties are well documented, had been exploring the possibility of playing teams from the Saudi Pro League and beyond as a way to bring in some extra revenue.

When asked about the possibility, United boss Ruben Amorim reluctantly remained diplomatic. "We have to do it," he said. "We knew that when we missed out on Europe, we have a lot of things to do. We have our fans, we have the budget, we have to compensate for a lot of things. So, we have to do it. We will do it. We want to be with our fans around the world. If you have to do it, you have to manage to find the space to do it."

The economic impact of missing out on European football has hit deep in the Old Trafford coffers. When the Red Devils were humiliatingly beaten by Spurs in the Europa League final in May, the club missed out on a heavy financial bonus and put further pressure on their unsteady balance.

United were still able to make a series of high-profile attacking signings, but they have come at a cost and mid-season friendlies could have eased the burden. Now, with the fixture list blocking out most of the midweek spots, their plans could be put into jeopardy.

United have been able to give their fans something to smile about recently. The Red Devils have won two games in a row for the first time under Amorim and the support is buoyant following a stunning 2-1 victory over rivals Liverpool last weekend. On Saturday, looking to burst the small bubble of optimism, Brighton come to Old Trafford knowing victory will send them above the Red Devils.