Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United are at a disadvantage for Sunday’s derby with Manchester City as his team only return from Russia on Thursday afternoon from their Champions League game with CSKA Moscow.

While Manuel Pellegrini’s side have a home match, the visit of Sevilla on Wednesday evening, United play CSKA the same evening at the Arena Khimki.

Van Gaal’s side know victory in the 170th derby would allow them to leapfrog City, the Premier League leaders, by a point.

Of the travel to the Russian capital, which involved an eight-hour round trip, the manager said: “Every club at the top of the league has the same problems. But now Manchester City has a benefit because they are playing at home and that is a difference. The next time we may have the benefit you never know.

“But it is important that it is like that because you can have the benefit. You have the benefit of the recuperation. Manchester City don’t have the travel we have. So they have more rest.

“There is nothing you can do. They have the benefit. We do a lot of things to try and help. We have cold baths, we have warm baths, less training sessions and practise so the freshness is good enough to beat City. But first we have to beat Moscow.”

United have three points as do CSKA, and PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg, the other clubs in Group B.