Manchester Evening News

Manchester United are in Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mame Stadium

Manchester United legend Roy Keane will be joining a different broadcast network on Wednesday night as a pundit for the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

United and Spurs have both suffered a torrid Premier League campaign. Despite both being clear of the relegation battle, they occupy 16th and 17th respectively and were staring down the barrel of no European football next season.

However, the Europa League has provided a safe haven for both teams and now offers them the chance to end this season on a positive note. The winner of the final at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium on Wednesday night will qualify for next season's Champions League and while it may not save their campaigns, it will at least give their supporters something to cheer.

An all-English final has added a layer of excitement to the build-up and the broadcast networks have been jostling for the best punditry line-ups. In the United Kingdom, TNT Sports will be showing the game live with Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes providing the United perspective alongside Tottenham duo Gareth Bale and Glenn Hoddle.

Those watching in the United States on CBS Sports will be in for a first as the American broadcasters confirmed that Keane will be joining their punditry team for the match. The former captain will be alongside Sky Sports colleagues Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards for the game while Anita Jones is on presenter duty.

United legend Peter Schmeichel will also be in Bilbao in his usual role of pitchside correspondent for the fixture. Wednesday night should be Keane's first appearance for CBS Sports.

His punditry work to this point has been focused on the Premier League with Sky Sports as well as England, FA Cup and international tournaments with ITV Sport.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United news as Tottenham go into Wednesday's Europa League final in Bilbao without four players due to injury

Tottenham Hotspur will be without four key players for Wednesday night's Europa League final showdown with Manchester United in Bilbao.

The two Premier League teams will meet in the San Mames Stadium looking to end their individual disappointing seasons on a high. The winner will book their place in the Champions League next season, despite the two teams lurking in the bottom five of the Premier League table.

Ange Postecoglou has suffered with injuries throughout the season, something he has put his side's poor form down to. Last week, Spurs made a host of changes to his side for the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa but he will be forced into using his squad against United.

There had been a minimal glimmer of hope that Lucas Bergvall would be fit enough to play in Bilbao after he arrived with the rest of his teammates this week.. However, Postecoglou confirmed on Tuesday that the Sweden international is not available due to an ankle injury.

"Team news is pretty much the same as last week," Postecoglou said. "No, Lucas isn't available. Pretty much the same as we were as of last week."

Despite the negative news regarding Bergvall, Tottenham will have Pape Matar Sarr available. The midfielder, who is in line to start on Wednesday, was forced off against Villa last Friday but Postecoglou has confirmed he "is fine".

Dejan Kulusevski, who has been one of Tottenham's best players this season, is out of the final due to a knee injury picked up in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. James Maddison has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will miss the game despite being spotted travelling to Bilbao with the rest of his teammates.

Defender Radu Dragusin is also out after rupturing his ACL in the 3-0 win over Elfsborg in January. It means Spurs will be without four players for the Europa League final.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

James Maddison shares four-word update as Man United Europa League final decision confirmed

Manchester United are preparing to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium on Wednesday night

Tottenham Hotspur's key midfielder James Maddison has shared an image of himself with his teammates in Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

Maddison has enjoyed a good recent history against United having scored a winner against the club in February. The goal came just days after Roy Keane had questioned the midfielder's ability.

And ahead of the final against United, Maddison was pictured in the Basque Country with his teammates. Posting an image of him on their social media channels, Spurs' official account wrote: "Taking it all in."

The message was subsequently shared by the player himself on his own Instagram stories. Despite flying to Bilbao with the Tottenham squad, Maddison will not be playing any part in the match on Wednesday night.

The former Leicester City man is currently injured and is undergoing treatment which shall keep him out for the remainder of the campaign. Earlier this month, Maddison confirmed he would not be featuring in the Europa League final, telling his 1.9m Instagram followers: "Gutted. Just absolutely gutted.

"We’ve had our sights on that European final in Bilbao from day one of this campaign. So to accept not being able to take part out on that pitch with the boys is really tough to take.

"Injuries are just part of this game that can be so cruel at times. But I truly believe that it can be a special night for my football club.

"Bring on the 21st. All together."

While he did not feature, Maddison was pitchside with Ange Postecoglou and the Spurs squad as they trained on the pitch at the San Mames Stadium on Tuesday. The winner of the Europa League final on Wednesday night will progress to the Champions League next season.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United have travelled to Bilbao ahead of Wednesday night's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mames Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has insisted that his team are confident they can beat Manchester United for the fourth time this season and win the Europa League.

The two Premier League clubs who have been statistically the worst in the division this season, bar those who have been relegated, meet in Bilbao on Wednesday night with a place in next season's Champions League on the line. Considering United's track record of playing in Europe, the pressure is on them to win and book their place in the top tier competition.

For Spurs, the pressure is just as great as not only will they be without Europe if they lose, they shall also extend their wait for a major trophy which dates back to 2008. What's more, their manager Ange Postecoglou has insisted he always wins a trophy by his second season at a club and the Europa League marks his last opportunity to do just that.

Speaking in an interview with GQ, Van de Ven insisted that his team are feeling good about the final. "If you join Spurs, of course people make jokes that you’re never going to win a trophy," he explained.

"This group of players and staff want to make sure we change this for the fans and the club. We want to win for the gaffer, of course.

"Everyone knows he’s said he always wins things in his second year [at a club]. It’s a nice quote for him and it would make it even more beautiful if we can make it happen.

"He has been so positive the whole season and made sure that no one ever lets their head down even if we played a terrible game. We never had a feeling that he was giving up on us; he’s always kept pushing us.

"That’s why at the end of a tough season we still believe we will win." Belief for Van de Ven and his teammates is likely to also come from the recent record between these two clubs.

United have met Tottenham in three matches - two in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup - and the Reds are yet to taste victory. Their most recent victory came in the Premier League when James Maddison's strike was the difference between the two teams.

Tottenham will be without their key midfielder on Wednesday night though as he continues his recovery from injury.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United fans always follow their club home and away in huge numbers, no matter where or how far they need to travel.

And that is no different ahead of Wednesday's Europa League final in Bilbao, as thousands of United supporters have started to arrive in the Basque Country.

United take on Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's final as Ruben Amorim looks to secure his first major trophy as Manchester United head coach.

The winners of the tie will also secure qualification to next season's Champions League, so the stakes could not be higher as both sides bid to win a major European trophy.

Bilbao's San Mames Stadium holds a capacity of 53,289 with United and Tottenham both being allocated 14,770 tickets.

But the number of United fans making the trip to Bilbao is expected to far exceed that allocation, with many Reds just wanting to be in the city to soak up the atmosphere of the final, despite not having a ticket.

Many have had to make long journeys via connecting flights to reach their destination, too, and despite a dire Premier League season, United's support remains up there with the very best and most dedicated in world football.

With that in mind, we have collated some of the best pictures of United fans in Bilbao on Tuesday, as the build-up continues towards the big game tomorrow.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has shared mixed news on the injury front.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has confirmed midfielder Pape Matar Sarr will be available for Wednesday night's Europa League final against Manchester United - but Lucas Bergvall will miss out.

The midfielder was forced off in the second half of Spurs' 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday night, sparking fears he could be in danger of missing the showpiece event at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.

Sarr, 22, went straight down the tunnel at Villa Park, flanked by a member of Spurs' medical team, but Postecoglou later confirmed that he did not anticipate it was "anything too serious".

"Pape felt something in his back, so we took him off as a bit of a precaution," Postecoglou said after the game. "I don’t think it's anything too significant, speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back."

The Spurs boss has now insisted that the Senegalese international is available to be involved against United, telling the media at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon: "Pape is fine."

However, the Spurs chief will have to make do without midfielder Bergvall. Despite being ruled out for the rest of the season a few weeks ago due to an ankle injury, rumours had been circling to suggest the midfielder could make a surprise return against the Reds.

However, the Londoners' injury situation has not changed, meaning the Swede will play no part against Ruben Amorim's side.

"Team news is the same as last week," said Postecoglou. "Lucas will not be available."

Spurs flew out to the Basque Country on Monday and James Maddison was within their travelling squad. He, like Bergvall, was ruled out for the remainder of the season a few weeks ago.

However, confirmation from Postecoglou that the injury situation remains unchanged means the attacking-midfielder is poised to miss the final.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

'I'm not a clown' - Ange Postecoglou lets rip at Tottenham reporter before Europa League final

Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou was in quotable form during what could have been one of his last pre-match press conferences with the club.

Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou berated a reporter on the eve of their Europa League final with Manchester United for suggesting he could be remembered as a "clown".

The final in Bilbao is expected to be Postecoglou's penultimate match in charge of Spurs, whose Premier League campaign concludes at home against Brighton on Sunday. The club are bidding to win their first trophy since 2008 against United.

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League in their worst top flight season since they were relegated in 1977 but Postecoglou, who took over at the club in 2023, won a trophy in his second season in charge of former clubs South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F. Marinos and Celtic.

A piece in the Evening Standard on Tuesday stated, "As Spurs prepare for Bilbao, Postecoglou is therefore in a strange position, teetering between hero and clown."

When the reporter responsible for the piece asked Postecoglou a question as to whether he was conscious of the fine line between success and failure, Postecoglou rounded on him.

"That depends on your outlook, but I'll tell you one thing, irrespective of tomorrow, I'm not a clown and never will be," Postecoglou fumed.

"You really disappointed me that you used such terminology to describe a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to be in a position where he is leading out a club in a major European competition.

"For you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I'm a clown, I'm not really sure how to answer that question."

Postecoglou previously suggested he was regarded as "a clown" when Celtic appointed him as their head coach in 2021.

The Australian also added his future is "assured", whatever the outcome of the final against United. "My future is assured, I wouldn't be the first person who changes jobs, mate, we all change jobs. I'm sure you've had more than one job. My future's assured.

"I've got a beautiful family, I've got a great life, I'll keep on winning trophies until I finish so don't worry about my future, mate. My future is not entwined with anything.

"My future is assured, provided, god willing, my health remains and my beautiful family's beside me and my friends. There's nothing wrong with my future, mate. Don't stress, mate. Sleep easier at night. I will be okay.

"I don't think my job is done here. I really feel like we're building something and winning a trophy hopefully accelerates that so I still think there's a lot of work to be done.

"The challenges we've had this year are well chronicled but there's some reasoning in that in the context of that but also there's been some growth I'd like to see through. Whether that happens or not is not that important right now.

"I think this job is far from finished, there's some growth there that we can take this club to where it needs to be."

Man Utd are travelling to Bilbao on Tuesday and here is their official travelling squad for the Europa League final.

Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee have been included in Manchester United's travelling squad to face Tottenham Hotspur.

Yoro, Dalot and Zirkzee all returned to full training at Carrington on Tuesday morning, which is a huge boost for Ruben Amorim ahead of the Europa League final against Tottenham.

United initially feared Zirkzee would be ruled out for the season, but the forward has made strong progress in his recovery and will be available for selection in Bilbao. Yoro and Dalot are also in contention to start at the Estadio de San Mames after taking part in the last training session ahead of the final.

Matthijs de Ligt has not been included in the squad. The defender picked up an injury against Brentford on May 4 and was spotted doing light individual work at Carrington on Tuesday.

With the exception of De Ligt, Amorim has a fully fit squad at his disposal for the final, which is welcome news for United's head coach after dealing with a lengthy injury list throughout the season.

Tottenham travelled to the Basque Country on Monday evening, but United decided to prepare for the final by training at Carrington, just like they have for each European away game this season.

James Maddison was included in Spurs' travelling squad, but it's unclear whether he'll be fit enough to feature.

United travelling squad

Goalkeepers: Onana, Bayindir, Heaton, Mee.Defenders: Evans, Amass, Dorgu, Dalot, Fredricson, Yoro, Maguire, Heaven, Lindelof, Mazraoui, Shaw.Midfielders: Mainoo, Eriksen, Ugarte, Mount, Fernandes, Collyer, Casemiro.Attackers: Hojlund, Amad, Garnacho, Zirkzee.

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate.

Manchester United's staff and players appeared to be in good spirits as they took part in an open training session in front of the world's media on Tuesday morning.

United take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday evening as Ruben Amorim looks to win his first trophy as United boss.

With the prize on offer a place in next season's Champions League, as well as winning a major European trophy, the stakes could not be higher for United in northern Spain.

But before they jetted off this afternoon, they didn't appear to be feeling the pressure as they took in their final preparations at their Carrington training ground.

Amorim and his staff appeared to be in a jovial mood and the vibes were positive ahead of the club's biggest game in years.

Alejandro Garnacho was sporting a new bleached blonde hair cut while the trio of Leny Yoro, Diogo Dalot and Joshua Zirkzee returned from their respective injuries to give United a major boost heading into tomorrow's final.

With that in mind, here is a look at the best pictures from this morning's training session.

Man United have trained at Carrington on the eve of the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao

Tottenham Hotspur have already travelled to the Basque Country, but United trained at Carrington on Wednesday morning to prepare for the Europa League final and they will fly to Bilbao in the afternoon.

Amorim had been sweating on the fitness of Yoro, Zirkzee and Dalot for the final after they missed the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Friday but they were involved in training and look set to be available for the final tomorrow.

However, there was no sign of Matthijs de Ligt with the Dutch international now looking likely to miss the final in Bilbao.

Jonny Evans was involved in training, while Ayden Heaven made his return from a lay-off with a late appearance from the bench against Chelsea and Toby Collyer was fit enough to make the bench after recovering from a muscle injury.

Chido Obi was involved in the session but is not eligible to be named in the matchday squad.

Obi was joined by fellow youngsters Tyler Fredricson, Harry Amass and Toby Collyer, Ely Harrison and Dermot Mee in training this morning.

Tottenham feared they could be without James Maddison through injury for the Europa League final, but the playmaker was spotted travelling with their squad to Bilbao on Monday afternoon.

United training squad

Goalkeepers: Onana, Heaton, Bayindir, Mee, HarrisonDefenders: Dalot, Yoro, Dorgu, Mazraoui, Maguire, Shaw, Heaven, Amass, Fredricson, Lindelof, Evans. Midfielders: Casemiro, Fernandes, Mount, Eriksen, Collyer, Ugarte, Mainoo.Attackers: Garnacho, Zirkzee, Amad, Hojlund, Obi.

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate.