A crucial few weeks lie ahead for Manchester United with an FA Cup final on the horizon and two league clashes where they will look to boost their finishing position. 

Neighbours in the table on 35 points, Liverpool will host Manchester United following their last gasp victory over Chelsea midweek. 

Marc Skinner spoke about the importance of the coming weeks for his side. 

  • A Liverpool challenge

"We've got a show piece final next week but we've got a final this weekend and we got a final obviously when we play at Old Trafford against Chelsea," he said. "I watched the game, Chelsea vs Liverpool and thought Liverpool were super resilient, really good and made set pieces on their home ground so it's going to be a difficult game, we've got to prepare."

"You can look ahead and you lose focus of the here and now and we can't do that. That's not going to be acceptable from us so we got to make sure we put our best efforts in this weekend and hopefully take the point."

Finishing on 23 points last season, Liverpool have already superseded their previous total with two games remaining. Skinner spoke about the opponent's improvement over the season. 

"You look at Liverpool for example, I know Liverpool have been difficult for Chelsea, especially at Prenton Park. It shows the growth in the in the game," Skinner said. 

"I can see the growth all around the league and that's really good. I think it was the stat if you lost three games, no one's ever won the title. I think will change in the future and I think that's exciting for everyone involved in the league," he added.

Liverpool secured three points against Chelsea, beating the WSL reigning champions 4-3 in a thriller at Prenton park. Gemma Bonner's 92nd minute winner dented the Blues' title hopes. 

"They were good the other night, weren't they! The delivery was excellent," Skinner said. "I felt obviously the way that they attacked them was excellent. You can obviously look at defensive structure but you gotta look at the way that they attacked them and the hunger they showed for them and I think honestly, I mean I think the last time we played them we lost the game and it was on the fundamentals."

Skinner pinpointed 18-year-old Mia Enderby and Norwegian forward Sophie Román Haug as key tools in Matt Beard's box.

"Matt’s [Beard] obviously put a team together. I'm sure he wants to grow on a consistent basis. We've got to be at our very best on Sunday, no doubt, especially away from home as well. We got to go there ready for all the qualities at Liverpool."

  • Team News

Throughout the season, United haven't been dealt the easiest hand with injuries but heading into the business end of the season, Skinner provided a positive update.

"Everyone is currently available. I'm hopeful that Jayde Riviere will be available on the bench as well so yeah, everyone, barring the long term injuries is available and it's looking positive going into last three games."

  • An FA Cup final round the corner

Although Liverpool is the immediate focus, next weekend will be United's final shot at silverware. With such a significant fixture in the calendar, all players will be striving to be fit for Wembley but Skinner insists that the squad are prepared.

"What you have to do is almost explain and the players know this, is that you're more likely to get injured if you go half-hearted into tackles, you're more likely to get injured if you're half challenged, you're more likely to lose games and affect confidence if you go half hearted into what you're doing and I think the players know that," he explained.

"Every player in this squad wants to perform in the final next week, of course they do. In the back of their minds, that's what they'll think about, but the challenges for a team if you want to compete and what we want to do and we talk about it often, compete in the latter stages of tournaments and compete for leagues and you've got to be present in every moment time."

In tandem with this, Skinner explained that making it a taboo topic wouldn't help the team either. 

"I think you have to reference it, you have to speak about that. You have to open that dialogue but then you also have to put your mind back into what we do," he said.

"The process is to try and beat Liverpool, there's no doubt we can't take our eyes off it for a second because Liverpool just punished the best team in in England for a long time so we have to be at our very best and I'll remind them of that."

  • Melvine Malard's future

French forward, Melvine Malard has spent the season on loan at Manchester United from Lyon. Scoring five goals and registering an assist in a United shirt, her celebrations would suggest that she is United through and through. However, Lyon, United and Malard are yet to reach an agreement on her future. 

Marc Skinner spoke about the role Malard has played in the side and her future. 

"Melvine [Malard’s] predominantly played left side for Lyon in the past and for us, I think because we lost Gabby [George] early in the season, we didn't have that left foot balance," he explained.

"As a forward you get queues, which means it looks like it's more fluid, but since we've put Melvine in the line, I feel like she's got that deadly finishers touch. If we can get her into the box, I feel that she has that quality to finish and I think we've had to evolve throughout the season with her," Skinner added.

"I think she's evolved and it's obviously something we're assessing, going towards the end of this season and towards next season about what that looks like but I think she can be proud of what she's done lately and what she's continued to add to the team."

"Of course there are qualities I wanna keep. What I've learned a lot this year is that we have to continue as we've evolved the squad. We lost some players in the in the summer last year. You have to make sure that you're adding the right players in the sequenced order."