Manchester United manager Marc Skinner has clarified his comments around the Champions League qualifying format.

After finishing second in the Women’s Super League last season, United went through the competition’s qualifying rounds and were knocked out at the second hurdle on Wednesday night after being beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Paris St Germain.

Last year’s WSL winners Chelsea earned an automatic group spot, while third-placed Arsenal went into the qualifiers, where they were eliminated by Paris FC in the first round.

Skinner criticised the qualification rules post-match on Wednesday, suggesting it was “crazy” United played PSG in a qualifying round.

However, he moved to clear up his comments in a press conference on Friday, suggesting that the competition could be expanded.

Skinner said: “My comment was much more about the breadth and quality, I believe there is a need for more teams to be in this competition, and then you’ll see who is average and who isn’t.

“Who knows, we might have been average in a group stage, you don’t know that. If there was any offence taken then I’m sorry for that, but that’s not what I meant.

“What I meant, and I’ll be clear on it, was I think there should be a broader scope of teams and there should be more teams in this competition so that we can actually then see where the elite level lies within Europe.

“I still think that’s a bit cloudy because the reality is, if we were playing a team that are from – what people might believe- to be a league that doesn’t have the experience, then we don’t know until we’ve played those, we only ever play those teams in friendlies.

“If you really want the real quality from all of the European leagues to rise, then you’ve got to play them against each other, which I think now other teams are ready for.

“If you enter that stage and are getting through, then congratulations. We’re not there so we can talk about what that looks like, but they are there so congratulations to everyone who’s gone through.”

Marc Skinner is bemused at the lack of praise for his Manchester United side even though they head into the last Women’s Super League game of the season with an outside chance of winning the title.

United head to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon two points behind league leaders Chelsea, who will be crowned champions for a fourth successive time if they defeat relegation-threatened Reading.

However, even if the final day unfolds as anticipated and United settle for a runners-up spot, it would still be their highest top-flight finish, in a season where they reached the FA Cup final for the first time.

Just five years after being reformed, Skinner believes United gate-crashing the established order of Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal should be more widely recognised by those following the game.

“We’ve been exceptional this year and I don’t think we get enough credit, I really don’t,” said the United boss.

“There’s always a caveat as to why we’re successful. That is other teams’ injuries, other teams maybe not having the run they wanted and having Champions League and I get that. It’s a factor we will have to look at but I just feel the players have been exceptional this year.

“It’s not about where we finish in the league right now, that’s not the over-riding factor. We’re growing up in front of the public eye whereas other teams have already done that. I feel this team in a pressure cauldron not only have performed well but won games of football.

“We’re still in contention to win and if we don’t we finish second but to do that and disrupt the historical top-three, that is a big, big season regardless of what’s happened elsewhere.

“I want people to give this team and the players the credit they deserve.”

Aoife Mannion will miss out this weekend after tweaking her knee while blocking a shot in training although Skinner is confident the Republic of Ireland defender will be fit for the World Cup.

“We’re hoping so, that’s the plan,” said Skinner, who will also be unable to call upon Maria Thorisdottir because of the Norwegian’s foot injury.

“There’s nothing structurally wrong. She won’t be in at the weekend but we’re hoping in a few weeks, she’ll be back.”