London, Oct 20 (IANS): Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels his club, which failed to qualify for the Champions League, are suffering due to their absence from the elite European tournament and insisted that his team will only reach higher levels when they will be up against some of the best sides in the world.

With rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are preparing for Champions League encounters against CSKA Moscow and Real Madrid, respectively, United instead travel to West Bromwich Albion in search of Premier League points, reports The Daily Telegraph.

“I don’t know if there is an advantage (being out of Europe). When you can play the Champions League and also the Europa League, you can compare yourselves as a team with the better players, with a higher level,” van Gaal said.

“Maybe in my first year I have more chances to train with my players and that is probably better than all the matches maybe. But at the end, it’s always better to play in the Champions League and all the cups and play all the matches because you can compare yourself with higher level opponents.”