Police on red alert that rival Man Utd and Leeds fans could descend on Wembley

Police are on alert over the prospect of rival fans of Manchester United and Leeds United descending on Wembley within 24 hours of each other.

United take on neighbours City in the FA Cup Final on May 25, while the Yorkshire side will appear in the Championship play-off final on May 26 if they see off Norwich City at Elland Road on Thursday night.

Leeds would appear to be favourites, given they finished the season three places and 17 points above the Canaries and came away from Carrow Road with a 0-0 draw in the first leg.

And should they secure their place under the arch, it would create a major headache for officials.

Mail Sport understands that the prospect has already been discussed at safety meetings.

Wembley is now seen as a destination thanks to the boom in hotels, bars and restaurants in its footprint.

Sizable numbers of supporters of both Manchester clubs have already booked rooms for the Saturday night following the final.

And should Leeds progress, they are likely to be joined by many more who will travel to the stadium from Yorkshire ahead of their clash.

EFL bosses wanted the play-off final, which will see Leeds or Norwich take on West Bromwich Albion or Southampton, in the later kick-off slot, primarily given it usually attracts greater viewing numbers.

They also alerted officials to the chance of Leeds and Manchester United fans mixing and pointed out that a later kick-off on the Sunday would help reduce the risk. However, their pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

Leeds and United share one of the fiercest rivalries in English football and there have been numerous instances of trouble over the years.

What police described as ‘large-scale disorder’ broke out in Manchester city centre ahead of a fixture between