Premier League clubs may have to wait until April to find out if they will have a fifth Champions League place next season. The blame for the uncertainty is being placed on Manchester United and Newcastle, who both crashed out of the competition.

England's Uefa coefficient takes a hit

The early exits of Manchester United and Newcastle from the Champions League have impacted England's Uefa coefficient. As a result, England now ranks third in the standings.

Changes to Champions League format

Uefa recently made changes to the Champions League format, which now includes 36 teams. These changes allow for an extra place for the best-performing nations from the previous campaign. The allocation of this place is determined by averaging the "coefficient points" earned by each club.

England's current position

England has finished in the top two in six out of the last seven seasons, except for the Covid-affected 2019-20 campaign. However, due to Manchester United and Newcastle's poor performances, England now stands just outside the top two places at the end of the group phase.

Competition from other nations

While English clubs have collected the most coefficient points, the points are divided by eight due to West Ham's extra Europa League place from their Conference League triumph last season. This gives England a "country coefficient" of 13.625 points, placing them in third. Italy leads with an average of 14 points, followed closely by Germany with 13.642 points.

Fifth Champions League spot still within reach

Despite the setback, there is still hope for Premier League clubs to secure the fifth Champions League spot. With six Premier League teams remaining in European competitions and the expectation that they can go far, England has a chance to climb back into the top two spots. However, confirmation of the fifth spot may not come until the semi-final stages in the spring.