Man Utd have been warned not to expect Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba to hit it off in midfield from the get go.
The two players are yet to feature together in the same United since following Fernandes' arrival in January.
Pogba has been sidelined since December through injury, but is now fully recovered ahead of the Premier League restart in less than two weeks.
United fans are eager for the duo to link up, with grand ideas about them spearheading the club's charge into the top four, but Nicholas feels it may not be that simple.
"With Manchester United, everyone is expecting them to kick on, I don’t actually see that," Nicholas told Sky Sports.
"I don’t know how everyone is pairing Pogba and Bruno Fernandes to say it is going to be perfect at the start, I don’t think it will be."
Both players have been pictured in training together and are seemingly already building up a decent rapport on the pitch.
United held an 11v11 match between squad members on Friday, as they begin to ramp up preparations ahead of their first fixture back against Jose Mourinho's Tottenham on June 19.
After a run of 11 games unbeaten in all competitions before the break they find themselves just three points off Chelsea in the race for that coveted fourth spot.
But with the field wide open, Nicholas believes their strongest competition could come from behind them in the table.
"I think the big danger for the top-four is potentially Wolves," he added.
"I really do think that Wolves have got themselves into a position, they love playing teams away, they tend to get big results and after the massive amount of games they have played so far this season, they have had a rest and will be fresh and fit and ready to go and with very little danger on them.
"I think they are the big danger to make the top four."
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