De Gea axed, Di Maria gone but Champions League draw offers welcome relief for Van Gaal & Man Utd

After a tumultuous week which has seen Angel Di Maria leave and David De Gea axed the Premier League giants were fortunate to receive a comfortable looking European draw As preparation for a new season goes, Manchester United's has been turbulent. A host of new signings midway through the summer gave reason for optimism, only for rebellious players to then take the headlines as the big kick-off draws ever closer. Angel Di Maria's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday and Louis van Gaal's announcement on Friday morning that David de Gea is not in the right frame of mind to play against Tottenham in Saturday's Premier League opener threatened to throw a the spanner in the works of a campaign United must start well. But the Champions League play-off draw threw them some respite. Rather than a tough clash against a Lazio, a Monaco or a CSKA Moscow, United were given a two-legged tie against Club Brugge. The sigh of relief at Old Trafford could hardly have been greater It is nearly 40 years since the Belgians' heyday when they found their way to two European finals, losing the 1976 Uefa Cup to Liverpool before tasting a repeat dose from the Merseysiders in the European Cup final two years later. Nowadays they are a far less daunting proposition, having not made it to the Champions League group stage since 2005-06. This was exactly the kind of news United needed. The loss of Di Maria has been expected for some time, but the decision to bench De Gea for Saturday's game means that further developments should follow in the episode which will surely see him end up at Real Madrid sooner or later. It is the latest twist in a saga that will eventually see the club's back-to-back Player of the Year award winner leave Old Trafford. The only question now must be ‘when?' rather than ‘if?' The news earlier on Friday that Ashley Young, a close contender for the top individual gong last season, has signed a new three-year deal with an option for a further 12 months was never going to be enough to cure the various headaches. What Van Gaal really needed was a gift of a European tie. Now that United have been handed exactly that, the Dutchman needs to ensure they make the most of it. He has 180 minutes of Premier League football against Spurs and Aston Villa in which to prepare his troops for what many will regard as a free pass into the money-spinning Champions League group stage. It is hard to envisage United playing Europa League football between September and December given the task ahead of them, but further discontent around Carrington cannot help their cause. One can only hope they produce a typically robust Old Trafford European performance in the first leg and make the return in Belgium little more than a formality. It is just the sort of pick-me-up the club needs after a testing start to August. Friday was very much a mixed morning, but United's prospects look better at the end of it. Champions League qualification brings with it big money, huge appeal, and returns the club to the top table. Between now and September 2 players may come, and players may go but United – barring a catastrophe – will return to the Champions League.