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Manchester United are reportedly £6million down following the six Monday matches they've played in the Premier League this season. The Red Devils have played the second-most of any club on Mondays this term, with Everton the only side to have featured in that slot more.

The reason is simple: United haven't been playing European football this season, meaning the Premier League broadcasters can get away with scheduling them on a Monday night. For television audiences, United are seen as a big draw, but for the club itself, the Monday night matches have come at a cost.

It's reported by the Daily Mail that Monday fixtures cost up to £1m per match. That is a staggering amount, which is largely down to a loss of earnings in hospitality areas, most notably stadium tours, which are said to be a big revenue driver.

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United won't have to contend with this next season, given their hiatus from European football is set to come to an end, and a return to the Champions League is just around the corner. And while the club have admitted to a commercial dip as a result of the Monday night fixtures, they insist they aren't losing money.

The club will be welcoming the return of Champions League football, not least because and extra £80m to £100m is expected to be banked as a result. Plus, the added benefit is the heavily reduced Monday night matches will be an added boost.

The last Monday night outing of the season for United saw them beat Brentford 2-1, putting them on the brink of qualifying for the Champions League. Commenting after the victory, interim boss Michael Carrick said: "It was quite an open game at times. We started fantastically well. Credit to them, they are a good team and we knew they were a good team.

"They came into the game a little bit and were in a good place at half-time so we tweaked things second half. Towards the end they had a few opportunities but I thought the spirit, effort and togetherness of the players was fantastic. It's the time of year when it's a result business and we needed to take points."

Before concluding: "It's a tough finish in a tough league. To get the amount of wins we have, we are delighted with that. Today was all about the three points for us. It's another win. We have an important game coming up and we can look forward to that."