They would enter the competition at the final play-off stage, which is split between the 'champions' route - for teams who have won their national title - and 'league' route, for those who haven't.
United would be joined in league route by the fourth-placed teams from La Liga and the Bundesliga, the third-placed teams from Italy and Portugal and the five league route winners from the third qualifying round.
Louis van Gaal's side can still finish as high as second if they win their final two games against Arsenal and Hull and other results go their way.
That could include the third-placed team from France, plus the runners-up from Russia, Holland, Ukraine, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Austria and Czech Republic.
The play-offs can throw up some daunting fixtures.
In the 2013 play-off round, Lyon played Real Sociedad and PSV Eindhoven faced Milan. In 2014, Lille were drawn with Porto and Napoli with Athletic Bilbao.
United's UEFA coefficient of 10 is likely to mean they are the highest-ranked team in the play-offs and will be seeded for the draw, due to take place in Nyon on August 7.
Most of Europe's top leagues are yet to reach a conclusion, but the identity of the team who could lie in wait for United and Van Gaal is becoming clearer.
United's seeding should mean they avoid Spain's play-off entrant, likely to be either Valencia or Sevilla, and probably Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen and Shahktar Donetsk should they qualify.
But there is still a chance they could meet the likes of Roma, Lazio, Monaco, CSKA Moscow or Besiktas.
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