Ruben Amorim has said Manchester United cannot afford to throw away games in the Premier League in their chase for Europa League glory because they need the prize money from finishing as high in the table as possible.

Amorim is preparing his players for a tough trip to Brentford on Sunday just three days after the stunning 3-0 win over Athletic Club.

The result in Spain has put United on the brink of the Europa League final and while Amorim is set to rest players at Gtech Community Stadium, he insists Premier League points are still important.

United are walking a financial tightrope ahead of the summer transfer window and each place in the table is worth an estimated £3 million.

“We have to show the importance of every game in Manchester United,” Amorim said. “Then every position we have in the Premier League, you win more money. So that is important. Then it is fighting for your pride.

“Of course we don’t have anything to fight for. We have the second leg, which is really important for us. We know that, but we need to be competitive in every game.”

United are 14th in the table after a run of just one league win from their last seven games.

It is in stark contrast to their form in the Europa League, a competition in which Amorim has won seven of his nine games in charge.

The United boss said he will have to take “a risk” with his team against Brentford. He has already decided that defender Noussair Mazraoui will not play and it’s likely that others will also be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of Athletic Club’s visit to Old Trafford next week.

“The first thing is that the players that are at risk to get injured will not play, no matter what,” Amorim said. “We need to take a risk in that. For example, Nous Mazraoui cannot play. He is in the limit to get an injury.

“We are going to assess and the next day who are the best players to start the game. Then we have to be careful because we are Manchester United and we cannot go to a game without thinking we can win this game.

“So the process is going to be like that, it is going to be tough. But we passed so many things this year, this is one more. Let’s see.

“In this moment we have to be clear. Our focus is more on saving players and trying to be competitive. It is not a good thing to say but we need to understand the context.”