MANCHESTER -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said it is not fair to expect players to face two games in three days but believes his Manchester United team have an advantage over the rest of the Premier League because of their age.
United will kick off against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday just 48 hours after beating Newcastle 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday and despite reservations about the schedule, Solskjaer insists his young side should be able to cope.
"I don't think it is fair on the boys at all," Solskjaer said.
"I don't think it is fair to be expected to perform at the best of your level, both mentally and physically, 48 hours after you have played.
"But I think we are in the best position to perform on Saturday. The game [against Newcastle] was over after 45 minutes and we are young.
"We have a great chance against Burnley to perform at the best level because our boys do, when you are 23, which is the average age of the outfield starting players today, that will make it easier for us to recover than Burnley I think.
"They played until the end against Everton. We were done after 45 minutes and used the second half as recovery. But it is not fair, especially when a game at Watford has just gone and there will be a game New Year's Day."
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Victory over Newcastle eased the pressure on Solskjaer following the dire 2-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road and the United manager is adamant he will not change the way his team plays.
"I think it has been told in quite certain terms what kind of team we are," he said.
"They know when we are at our best. We can't play tippy-tappy football. We can't, at this moment in time, play like [Manchester] City. It is only City that can do that. We have to show more energy, drive, urgency and selflessness in every single game. That is the way we have to play at the moment."