Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will no doubt have next week’s Europa League final in mind when the Red Devils face Chelsea
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Manchester United are preparing for their final away game of the Premier League campaign as they head to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side competing with Manchester City for a place in the top five.
The Red Devils sit 16th in the table and can only reach 45 points as they stare down their worst-ever finish and points total in the Premier League era. They were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
However, Amorim and his side still have the opportunity to rescue their season as they prepare for the Europa League final. It will be an all-English affair as they take on Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21. Spurs have had an equally-bad league campaign but one of the top-flight outfits will play Champions League football next season.
United face Chelsea on Friday night after drawing 1-1 with the Blues at Old Trafford earlier in the season. Tottenham are also in action on Friday as they take on Aston Villa.
Can Ruben Amorim rest his entire team against Chelsea?
With United not at threat of relegation, their final placing or points tally in the league is largely irrelevant. Their campaign hinges on the Europa League final and it could mean that Amorim makes several changes against Chelsea.
Amorim is entitled to completely rotate his starting XI and rest key players. That has not always been the case. Blackpool were fined £25,000 during the 2010-11 campaign for rotating 10 of their starting XI, as the Premier League felt they had intentionally fielded a weakened team.
The rule to stop teams rotating heavily was established to ensure that the competition was a level playing field so that clubs were facing the strongest sides from each team. For example, Chelsea could get an easy ride against United on Friday as they go for Champions League football next season - as could Villa when they face a potentially-rotated Spurs XI.
"You are allowed to have 25 players," said legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson when asked about Blackpool’s fine at the time. "They ask you to name them. They don't ask you to name your 11 and 14 substitutes. The rules are there."
Ruben Amorim entitled to rotate how he pleases after rule change
At the end of the 2010/11 season, clubs agreed to modify the rules that would allow teams to rotate more.
A spokesman for the Premier League said at the time: "The clubs voted at the last Premier League Annual General Meeting to modify the rule regarding clubs fielding full strength teams (E.20). From 2011/12 onwards the rule will allow any combination of players included in a club's 25-man squad list to be selected for a Premier League fixture.
"The 25-man squad rules do allow clubs to pick Under-21 players beyond those named in their squad list and, with this in mind, it was agreed by the clubs that it was appropriate for the rule to remain in place in order to ensure the integrity of the competition."
It means that Amorim can select whoever he pleases from his squad against Chelsea, along with some Under-21s players but this must be done within reason as the rules would not allow Amorim to field a team full of United’s Under-21s side but several could get the nod.