Manchester United may shift their main focus to the Europa League if they fall further out of contention for a top-4 slot in the Premier League this week.

United currently sit fifth, five points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.

United face Everton on Tuesday and then Sunderland on Sunday.

"I just want to think that against Everton we are going to do what we tried to do [against West Brom], to try to play with our best team and try to win the match, and after Everton we go to Sunderland with the same perspective," Jose Mourinho told reporters. "And then after Sunderland the Europa League comes and I don't know.

"Then, it's possible that you see me play in the Premier League with a team where I'm going to protect the players that I consider fundamental for the Europa League -- but only, only if the results in the next matches put us in a situation where, mathematically, it becomes almost impossible to do it.

"I go with mathematics. Until it's impossible mathematically, we keep trying. Because this week is a week without the Europa League, we have nothing to think about with the Europa League. This week is easy. From the focus point of view, it's easy. We have to play Everton, we have to play Sunderland, and in these two matches we have to go for them thinking about the Premier League and nothing else.

"After that match against Sunderland, then we have Anderlecht and the quarterfinals of the Europa League are very important for us."