Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are on course to meet in the Europa League final after both team's comfortably won the first legs of their semi-final ties.
Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of a potential Europa League final against Manchester United this month.
Ange Postecoglou's side beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in their semi-final first leg clash on Thursday night and look likely to face the Reds, who eased past 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in their first leg fixture. Both clubs have endured miserable campaigns overall with United 14th and Spurs 16th in the Premier League table.
But winning this season's Europa League would offer some success and a lucrative spot in next term's Champions League. The final will take place in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21 (8pm kick-off UK time).
However, Tottenham's hopes for a potential final against Ruben Amorim's team have been dealt a significant blow. Spurs boss Postecoglou has confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game against West Ham that key midfielder Lucas Bergvall will miss the remainder of 2024/25.
He adds that while striker Dominic Solanke is injured, it is not expected to keep him out for long. James Maddison's injury, however, is being assessed.
"Lucas looks like the injury is significant enough to keep him out for the rest of the season," Postecoglou explained. "He was on his own, went to turn and his ankle gave way.
"Dom (Solanke) is not too bad, still sore from last night but nothing too serious. A doubt for the weekend.
"Madders a bit more of a concern because it's the knee. We've sent him for a scan."
In a further blow to Tottenham, United could enjoy a recovery time advantage of over 42 hours compared to Spurs if the two clubs reach the final. Amorim's men would benefit from five days of rest before the final, while Tottenham would have only three-and-a-half days.
The Reds' match against Chelsea was recently rescheduled to be an 8pm kick-off on Friday, May 16, due to the Women's FA Cup final between the same teams on Sunday, May 18. In contrast, Postecoglou's side are set to face Aston Villa away on the Sunday, with a 2:15pm kick-off.
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