Manchester Evening News

Marcus Rashford shows true Man United colours in three-word Europa League final message

Marcus Rashford has sent a message to his Manchester United team-mates ahead of their Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

Marcus Rashford has sent his best wishes to his Manchester United as they prepare for their pivotal Europa League final clash with Tottenham on Wednesday night.

Ruben Amorim's squad have jetted off to Bilbao eager to cap off a turbulent campaign with a trophy, which would also clinch Champions League qualification.

Having already claimed victory at the Estadio de San Mames by defeating Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals, United now face their domestic foes in the bid for another European triumph.

Despite the high stakes, Amorim has been clear that even lifting the trophy won't rectify a season that's seen the team plummet to 16th place after tasting defeat 18 times.

On Instagram, United shared insights from several players regarding the forthcoming final, with Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, Patrick Dorgu, and Christian Eriksen all featuring.

Rashford responded to the post expressing his support with the comment: "Good luck guys," accompanied by a star emoji. Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan in the winter transfer window and has scored four goals, assisting five more.

A hamstring injury prematurely ended his season, with his last appearance coming against Manchester City where he found the net, albeit in a 2-1 loss, reports the Mirror.

Missing out on Villa's 3-0 FA Cup semi-final defeat to Crystal Palace, Rashford returned to Carrington for an assessment on his injury.

It seems unlikely that Rashford could be reintegrated into the United setup under Ruben Amorim, given the head coach's disparaging comments on the forward's training commitment.

Amorim publicly rebuked Rashford, saying he'd choose his ageing goalkeeping coach over a player who "does not give the maximum".

With Villa holding an option to secure Rashford’s signature for approximately £40million, speculation is rife about whether the club will take up the offer, which could see United settling his remaining contract.

Rashford has made 426 appearances for United having joined the academy at the age of seven, tallying up 138 goals and collecting five significant trophies.

The 27-year-old has tasted both triumph and defeat in Europa League finals, celebrating victory against Ajax in 2017 and enduring the heartbreak of a penalty shootout loss to Villarreal in 2021.

United have perfect preparation plan for Europa League final thanks to Erik ten Hag

Go through the wreckage of that 2023/24 season under Erik ten Hag, and it's the FA Cup final performance at Wembley that stands out by a mile.

The contrast from the humiliating way they won the semi-final, throwing away a three-goal lead against Coventry City, surviving an unbearably tight VAR call to lose 4-3 and then winning on penalties, to the way they outplayed and outthought Manchester City is still stunning to this day.

It was a performance of poise and precision, a day when the game plan worked to perfection and a reminder of the talent within the ranks. It was by some distance Ten Hag's best day in the job.

In fact, it was so good that rather than being his last day in the job, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe had planned, he earned himself another chance. The challenge of lifting this team to performances of that quality on a weekly basis was beyond him, but the squad involved at Wembley agree that it was a triumph for Ten Hag last year.

He got the tone of the build-up right, inspiring players through cleverly thought-out speeches and video presentations, and got his tactics spot on, outwitting Pep Guardiola. Doing the same to Ange Postecoglou might not be the same challenge, but a final is always different for a head coach, and Amorim will have to get the tone right this week.

Read the full story, here.

Tottenham's confirmed travelling squad

James Maddison has been included in Tottenham Hotspur's travelling party to Bilbao to face Manchester United in the Europa League final.

In a video released via the club's social media channels, 21 players were pictured boarding the bus ahead of catching their flight to Bilbao on Monday evening.

And Maddison, who Ange Postecoglou said would miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, was pictured as part of the travelling party.

Tottenham players pictured in the travelling squad: Guillermo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Callum Olusesi, Damola Ajayi, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, Mikey Moore, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Son Heung-Min, Mathys Tel, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Dane Scarlett, Will Lankshear

Read the full story, here.

Why United are sticking to their pre-match plan

Tottenham flew to Bilbao on Monday. United are scheduled to fly at 3pm on Tuesday. Spurs are training at San Mames whereas United will train at Carrington. Ange Postecoglou's pre-match press conference at San Mames is at 1645. Ruben Amorim is scheduled to speak at 1930.

United had a meeting with Uefa about landing slots at Bilbao Airport. The airport felt tiny accommodating a couple of thousand United fans when they flew in two seasons ago and in recent months, never mind the arrival of tens of thousands of English football fans.

Superstitious supporters may start to get twitchy. Have Spurs gone too early? Are United going too late? United's itinerary is in keeping with their European schedule this season: train at home, afternoon flight and evening press conference. 3pm is their usual departure time for a European away game.

Read the full story, here.

Manchester United are preparing to face Spurs on Wednesday in the Europa League final.

Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in Bilbao on Wednesday as the two teams battle it out for Europa League glory.

While a piece of European silverware will always be a prize worth fighting for, it's qualification for next season's Champions League and the riches that brings that both teams will be desperately hoping to win.

Both sides have endured torrid domestic campaigns, with United sitting in 16th place in the Premier League and Spurs a point and a place below them.

Wednesday's final offers both teams the chance to end a dreadful campaign on a positive note. Ahead of that huge clash, here's the latest from the Spurs camp as United aim to get the better of a side that has already beaten them three times this season.

Spurs injury latest

Player: Dejan Kulusevski

Injury: knee

Kulusevski was forced off just 19 minutes into the defeat to Palace after going down with a knee problem. Speaking to the media at Spurs' pre-final media day on Monday, boss Postecoglou described the Swede's issue as a "knock".

"[He's a] bit sore with his knee," he said. "Looks like a knock at this stage. We're going to let it settle for 24 hours but the positive thing is it looks like a knock."

However, Spurs have since released a statement confirming Kulusevski has undergone surgery and is out of the final.

Possible return date: pre-season.

For the rest of Spurs' injury list, click here >>>

Spurs travelling squad

James Maddison has been included in Tottenham's travelling party to Bilbao to face United in the Europa League final.

In a video released via the club's social media channels, 21 players were pictured boarding the bus ahead of catching their flight to Bilbao on Monday evening.

And Maddison, who Ange Postecoglou said would miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, was pictured as part of the travelling party.

Read on here >>>

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Man United will face Tottenham on Wednesday with European silverware and a place in the Champions League up for grabs

Gary Neville has predicted Manchester United will beat Tottenham in Wednesday's Europa League final.

It's been a season to forget domestically for both United and Spurs. Only the three sides that will be playing in the Championship next season sit below Spurs in the Premier League table, while United are just a point and a place better off.

United head coach Ruben Amorim has already said that even Europa League final glory won't paper over the cracks of what has been a miserable domestic campaign.

That being said, the financial boost that would come with Champions League qualification would certainly offer hope for the club ahead of a crucial summer transfer window.

Former United captain Neville was asked for his prediction ahead of the clash in Bilbao on Wednesday night. Despite Spurs having already beaten United three times this season, Neville believes his old side will do the business over in Spain.

"I think United will win on Wednesday night," he told Monday Night Football. Neville gave the prediction while discussing the battle for the top five, with United set to play a key role as they face Champions League chasing Aston Villa on the final day.

The Sky Sports pundit was asked whether he thought United would provide a stern test for Villa, replying: "Look, if that trophy parade's on, it will be euphoric in terms of winning a trophy and bringing the Europa League back.

"However, if they weren't to win, then I think Old Trafford will be a very difficult place (against Villa on Sunday)."

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Here are your latest Man United headlines as Ruben Amorim's side prepare for their Europa League final against Tottenham.

Manchester United are looking to end a miserable season on a high when they face Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

United do still have one more Premier League game to play this season but their domestic campaign has been a write-off for some time. The Reds are winless in their last eight league outings and were knocked out of both domestic cups before the business end of the competitions.

With European silverware and a place in next season's Champions League up for grabs, United's season hinges on Wednesday night. Here's a look at the latest United headlines ahead of their huge clash with Spurs.

Spurs travelling squad members confirmed

James Maddison has been included in Tottenham Hotspur's travelling party to Bilbao to face Manchester United in the Europa League final.

In a video released via the club's social media channels, 21 players were pictured boarding the bus ahead of catching their flight to Bilbao on Monday evening.

And Maddison, who Ange Postecoglou said would miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, was pictured as part of the travelling party.

See their full travelling part here >>>

Injury latest

Injured player: Diogo Dalot

Injury: calf

Dalot suffered a muscle injury in the 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford on Easter Sunday.

On Wednesday, Dalot was spotted doing an individual training session at Carrington before the main group session took place.

Amorim said: "Dalot is trying really bad. I don't want to risk Dalot, when you start getting one injury, a second injury is a big thing. We cannot have these kind of problems in our squad. He's working really hard to get in the final."

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur, N).

See their full injury list here >>>

Amorim plan

Amorim has offered a hint as to where he believes his side can make Tottenham Hotspur 'suffer' in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

United travel to Bilbao looking for the win that will see them lift another European trophy and the first of the Amorim era.

Despite their league woes this season, their form in Europe has been outstanding and a win in Bilbao on Wednesday will see them qualify for next season's Champions League.

Read on here >>>

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.

Spurs have released a video confirming their travelling party to Bilbao to face Manchester United.

James Maddison has been included in Tottenham Hotspur's travelling party to Bilbao to face Manchester United in the Europa League final.

In a video released via the club's social media channels, 21 players were pictured boarding the bus ahead of catching their flight to Bilbao on Monday evening.

And Maddison, who Ange Postecoglou said would miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, was pictured as part of the travelling party.

A number of senior players like Son Heung-Min, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Dominic Solanke were pictured as part of the travelling squad, and they were joined by youngsters Callum Olusesi, Damola Ajayi, Mikey Moore, Dane Scarlett and Will Lankshear.

Meanwhile, Matthys Tel, who opted to join Spurs instead of United from Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, was also included in Spurs' travelling party.

United will make the trip to Bilbao on Tuesday afternoon following the completion of their open training session tomorrow morning at Carrington.

That will be the last glimpse we get of United's players in action, and whether any injured stars may return to the squad, before Ruben Amorim will face the media in a press conference in Bilbao on Tuesday evening.

Man United head coach Amorim has been speaking about the Europa League final vs Tottenham.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has offered a hint as to where he believes his side can make Tottenham Hotspur 'suffer' in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

United travel to Bilbao looking for the win that will see them lift another European trophy and the first of the Amorim era.

Despite their league woes this season, their form in Europe has been outstanding and a win in Bilbao on Wednesday will see them qualify for next season's Champions League.

United head to Spain 16th in the Premier League, while Spurs are 17th after having an equally dire season domestically but similar success in Europe.

Ange Postecoglou has developed an attacking philosophy in north London that has seen Spurs score plenty of goals but also ship far too many at the other end.

In the league this season Spurs have scored 63 goals which has only been bettered by Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester City. But they have conceded 61, with Wolves the only team outside of the bottom three with a worse defensive return.

And speaking ahead of the final on Wednesday, Amorim believes United can exploit their defensive frailties.

"I think they are a team who have a lot of intensity," Amorim told MUTV.

"They have a really strong identity, they play in the same way and you can see it. They score a lot of goals but they also suffer because they want to score every time.

"We know Spurs, they know our team and we also have a strong identity so it is going to be a good game."

Amorim has repeatedly said that winning the Europa League would not represent a successful season for United and he reiterated that belief again as he praised United's travelling support that are heading to northern Spain.

"It's not enough, winning the Europa League. It's not enough for all the support they [the fans] gave us this season.

"With our fans, it's not a surprise for me - they will go swimming if needed to, even without a ticket! I already know.

"A big thank you for everything they did during the season. We will do our best to give something to them."

Kulusevski, Sarr, Maddison - Tottenham injury latest ahead of Man United Europa League final

Manchester United are preparing to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final and here's the latest Spurs injury news.

Manchester United have a number of injury concerns heading into the Europa League final this week and their opponents Tottenham are no different.

Spurs are set to be without some of their key players as they aim to rescue something from what has been a sorry season. While United escaped their Friday night clash with Chelsea unscathed on the injury front, Ange Postecoglou was handed another injury worry as Pape Sarr picked up a knock. Youngster Mikey Moore also had to be replaced in the defeat to Aston Villa.

Ahead of their clash with United, here is all the very latest on the Spurs injury front:

Dejan Kulusevski

Injury: knee

Kulusevski was forced off just 19 minutes into the defeat to Palace after going down with a knee problem. Speaking to the media at Spurs' pre-final media day on Monday, boss Postecoglou described the Swede's issue as a "knock".

"[He's a] bit sore with his knee," he said. "Looks like a knock at this stage. We're going to let it settle for 24 hours but the positive thing is it looks like a knock."

However, Spurs have since released a statement confirming Kulusevski has undergone surgery and is out of the final.

Possible return date: pre-season.

James Maddison

Injury: knee

Maddison has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury.

The former Leicester City man was forced off in the first leg of Spurs' Europa League semi-final triumph against Bodo/Glimt and it has been confirmed he will not play again this season.

"Madders tweaked his knee in the first leg," Postecoglou said. "He's out, he'll miss the rest of the season.

Possible return date: pre-season.

Pape Sarr

Injury: back.

Sarr was forced off against Villa in the Premier League on Friday night due to a back injury.

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

Possible return date: May 21 (Manchester United, N)

Mikey Moore

Injury: fatigue.

Moore is another who had to be replaced against Villa, but Postecoglou didn't appear concerned by the situation.

"I think Mikey (Moore) was okay. It was fatigue as much as anything else. He hasn’t played that sort of amount of minutes before."

Possible return date: May 21 (Manchester United, N)

Lucas Bergvall

Injury: ankle

Bergvall will miss the clash with United after being ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. He damaged ligaments in training ahead of the semi-final first leg win against Bodo/Glimt.

Bergvall, 19, has been a key player for Spurs this season, racking up 45 appearances. He had featured in all of their Europa League outings prior to the semi-finals.

Possible return date: pre-season.

Radu Dragusin

Injury: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

Dragusin is a long-term absentee after rupturing his ACL in Tottenham's 3-0 win over Elfsborg in the Europa League at the end of January. He underwent surgery and has been working on his recovery since.

ACL injuries usually take around six months to recover from, meaning he could be back in time for the start of pre-season in July. He did share an encouraging update on his social media on Tuesday night, posting a picture of a bag of footballs and commenting: "Off the radar, on a mission."

Yoro, Martinez, Zirkzee - Man United injury news and return dates before Europa League final

Manchester United will face Tottenham in Bilbao with European silverware and a spot in next season's Champions League up for grabs.

Manchester United are preparing for their biggest game in years as they face Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

European silverware is enough of an incentive for both clubs but, perhaps more importantly, the winner will also secure a spot in next season's Champions League. Both sides have been awful this season but a win on Wednesday would at least offer hope heading into next season.

The two teams have injury issues to contend with ahead of the final, and so with just a few days to go until the huge clash, here's the latest on the United injury front:

Diogo Dalot

Injury: calf

Dalot suffered a muscle injury in the 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford on Easter Sunday.

United head coach Ruben Amorim confirmed his fellow countryman would miss the next block of games, but he refused to rule him out for the remainder of the season.

On Wednesday, Dalot was spotted doing an individual training session at Carrington before the main group session took place.

Amorim said: "Dalot is trying really bad. I don't want to risk Dalot, when you start getting one injury, a second injury is a big thing. We cannot have these kind of problems in our squad. He's working really hard to get in the final."

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur, N).

Matthijs de Ligt

Injury: knee

Making his first start since recovering from a previous injury, De Ligt was forced off 35 minutes into United's 4-3 defeat to Brentford with a knee issue.

Absent from training again on Wednesday morning, Amorim has confirmed De Ligt is in a race against time to be fit for the clash with Spurs.

"I don't know if they're going to be available, we'll try to push, it's a final, all the players want to play really bad," said the United boss.

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur, N).

Leny Yoro

Injury: foot

Yoro was forced off in the second half of the defeat to West Ham United last weekend with a foot problem. He went down clutching his left foot and was substituted.

He was later spotted limping out of Old Trafford. He was not involved in Wednesday morning's open training session, instead doing fitness work in the gym.

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur, N).

Jonny Evans

Injury: unknown

Evans trained on Wednesday morning but he was not part of the squad that travelled for the clash with Chelsea on Friday night.

The experienced centre-back last played for United when he came off the bench to score in their 4-3 defeat to Spurs in December.

Possible return date: unknown.

Lisandro Martinez

Injury: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

Martinez is a long-term absentee after rupturing his ACL in United's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford at the start of February. He soon underwent successful surgery and is well underway with his recovery.

United have not put a specific timeframe on how long he will be out for, but he will not feature again this season. ACL injuries usually take around six months to fully recover from.

Possible return date: August.

Joshua Zirkzee

Injury: hamstring.

Zirkzee was forced off with a hamstring injury in United's 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United last month.

"Joshua is out for the season, so he's not going to play any more this season," Amorim said. "Let's prepare him for the next one."

However, he has since said he is pushing to return in time for the final. It remains to be seen whether he will make the flight to Spain.

Man United will face Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday as they aim to win the Europa League and secure a place in next season's Champions League.

Manchester United have confirmed they will wear their home shirt with black shorts in Wednesday's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

United usually wear white shorts and black socks with their traditional red home shirt, but the club have confirmed they will tweak their home kit and wear black shorts in the final.

The last time United wore black shorts with their home shirt was away at Real Sociedad in the Europa League round of 16, where Joshua Zirkzee's second half effort was ruled out by a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty. United won the second leg 4-1 at Old Trafford to set up what turned out to be a thrilling quarter-final against Lyon.

Ruben Amorim's side will be looking to add this season's Europa League trophy to their collection in what has been a bitterly disappointing campaign.

United are 16th in the Premier League and have a -12 goal difference, but victory in Bilbao will see them clinch a place in next season's Champions League.

Wednesday's opponents Spurs have also endured a torrid season, sitting one place and one point below United in the Premier League table.

The two sides have already met three times this season, with Spurs claiming the win on all three occasions. Their most recent meeting was decided by James Maddison's first-half strike.

You have to go all the way back to October 2022 for the last United win over Spurs, with the north London side winning four and drawing two of the sides' last six meetings.

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.

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