Manchester Evening News

Man United will lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday night's Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday night - and it will no doubt be of interest to Jose Mourinho.

The 62-year-old's managerial career has seen him sit in the home dugout at both Old Trafford and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He won the Europa League with United back in 2017, leading them to a 2-0 win over Ajax, and he went into this season's edition of the competition with the ambition of winning it with Fenerbahce.

United faced the Turkish club in just the third game of their league phase schedule, being held to a 1-1 draw in Istanbul after Christian Eriksen's early goal was wiped out by a Youssef En-Nesyri header just after half-time.

That result meant United had just three points to their name after their first three games, following draws in their opening two outings against FC Twente (1-1) and FC Porto (3-3).

Ahead of the game, Mourinho had dubbed United and Spurs the two "biggest candidates" to win the Europa League, describing their quality as being on a "different level".

Although both clubs have experienced shocking domestic campaigns, they still have a shot at redemption in Bilbao.

"They didn't win and didn't lose," Mourinho said, reviewing United's opening two Europa League matches. "In this format, where everybody tries to figure out what we need and nobody knows, every point you get is a difficult point.

"To play in Porto is not easy. To get a point in Porto is not easy for anybody.

"We also played against Twente, of course the world expects Man United to beat Twente, especially at Old Trafford. One thing is the results Manchester United is having and another thing is the potential of the team.

"The potential of the team is high and I think two draws in the Europa League don't favour us but also doesn't make a huge difference. At the end of the day, this new format will allow the top teams to qualify. No problem for a top team to lose three or four matches out of eight, because then they will win three or four, make 12 points easily and they will qualify.

"I think they are in a stable situation. If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, it's easy: Man United and Tottenham.

"Premier League is a different level of quality, it's a different level of intensity, it's a different level of pace, it's a different level of tactical culture, it's a different level of everything."

Having dubbed United and Spurs as favourites to win the competition, the fact they will meet in the final will come as no great surprise to Mourinho.

The new format has weakened the quality of the Europa League, of that there is no doubt, but both United and Spurs have had to overcome tricky opponents to put themselves on the cusp of European glory.

The days are counting down to Man United's season-defining game against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao

Returning Manchester United star Ayden Heaven has sent supporters a message ahead of the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur next week.

The English defender made a surprising appearance off the bench in the 1-0 defeat away to Chelsea in the Premier League on Friday.

It marked the first time fans had seen the 18-year-old in two months after he was stretchered off in the 3-0 victory over Leicester before the March international break.

Heaven has made a total of five competitive appearances since the move from Arsenal at the turn of the year, impressing fans with his tenacity, pace and ability to read the game.

It was a shock to see him at Stamford Bridge as the centre-half did not train with the squad midweek, yet was a part of Ruben Amorim's first-team plans just days later.

The chances of Heaven starting for United's season-defining Europa League final against Spurs on Wednesday remains incredibly unlikely, but he will hope to make the trip to Bilbao and be named on the bench.

Celebrating his return and looking ahead to the big game, Heaven posted on his official Instagram account: "Felt so good to be back, onto the final in Bilbao" followed by a love heart, accompanied by an image of the player during the Chelsea game.

Heavens return is a huge boost for United as it comes at a time when Amorim faces something of a small injury crisis with doubt cast over both Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro ahead of Wednesday's clash with Spurs.

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The latest Manchester United news as we take a look at the latest team news from Wednesday night's Europa League final opponents.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has given the latest update on two injury worries ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United.

The two teams meet in Bilbao, Spain, on Wednesday night. The prize for the winners will be European silverware as well as a place in next season’s Champions League, despite a poor domestic season for both sides.

Both United and Spurs were in action in the Premier League on Friday night. While United fell to a 1-0 away loss against Chelsea, Spurs were beaten 2-0 by Aston Villa at Villa Park.

That game also saw Tottenham handed two potential injury worries ahead of the final against United. Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr was taken off in the second half, the midfielder was replaced by Yves Bissouma and went straight down the tunnel with a member of the Spurs medical team.

Youngster Mikey Moore was also replaced in the closing minutes of the game, after going down and appearing to be in pain. Following the match, Postecoglou gave the latest on both players.

“Pape felt something in his back so we took him off as a bit of a precaution,” the Spurs boss said in his post-match press conference, via football.london.

“I don’t think it’s anything too significant speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back and 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.”

If Sarr is unavailable then he will join Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, Dane Scarlett, James Maddison, Timo Werner and Lucas Bergvall on the sidelines for the final.

Moore has played 19 times in all competitions for Spurs so far this season, but has mainly been used as a second half substitute. Sarr has however been a more regular fixture in the Spurs team, having made 53 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

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Yoro, Dalot, Zirkzee - Manchester United injury news and return dates before Europa League final

Man United were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea on Friday night and their next game is the Europa League final against Tottenham in Bilbao.

Manchester United were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Friday night and now their attention turns to the Europa League final.

United will face Tottenham in Bilbao with European silverware and a spot in next season's Champions League up for grabs. Both sides have been shocking this season but a win on Wednesday would rescue their campaign.

The two teams have injury issues to contend with ahead of the final, with Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro picking up injuries in recent weeks and Spurs confirming earlier this week that they would be without Dejan Kulusevski after he picked up a knock in the defeat to Crystal Palace.

Ahead of the Europa League final, 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 to the capital.

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.

The latest Manchester United news as Tottenham were in Premier League action ahead of the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Manchester United have been given the latest update on the Tottenham Hotspur squad ahead of next week's crucial Europa League final between the two teams.

Just five days before the final, both teams are in Premier League action on Friday night. While United are taking on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Spurs also had an away game against a Champions League chasing club in Aston Villa.

It could be forgiven if both sides had an eye on the final in Bilbao. Especially given that it’s a chance of qualifying for the Champions League themselves next season.

Eyes of both teams will also be on any potential injury blows in the build-up to the match. For Tottenham, there was an update even before kick-off with the news that forward Son Heung-min was starting.

He made his comeback from a foot injury in last weekend's 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace as a second half substitute. In a bid to build up game time ahead of the final, the Spurs captain was named in the starting XI against Villa.

Explaining the decision before the game to Sky Sports, Ange Postecoglou said: "I though it was better to start him off. Coming to Villa, it's a difficult place, with his experience, the line up is fairly inexperienced so it will help us."

Tottenham were handed a potential injury worry during the game with midfielder Pape Matar Sarr being replaced by Yves Bissouma in the 52nd minute. After being replaced Sarr was spotted heading straight down the tunnel with a member of the Spurs medical staff.

Youngster Mikey Moore also went down before being replaced in the 87th minute. He was, however, able to walk off the pitch unaided when being substituted.

Both Sergio Reguilon and Son were replaced just after Villa's second goal, in the 2-0 defeat, but it didn't appear to be sue to any injury concerns and was tactical. The same goes for Wilson Odobert who was replaced later in the game.

It was confirmed in the week that Spurs will be without Dejan Kulusevski, who has suffered a knee injury. He joins Radu Dragusin, Dane Scarlett, James Maddison, Timo Werner and Lucas Bergvall on the sidelines.

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All the latest Manchester United news as Ruben Amorim's side prepare to return to Bilbao for the Europa League final against Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt an injury scare ahead of the UEFA Europa League final. Manchester United will lock horns with the Lilywhites at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao on Wednesday night, with a piece of silverware up for grabs.

Pape Matar Sarr was prematurely substituted during Spurs' clash against Aston Villa on Friday night, sparking concern that he's picked up a knock. Rather than seating himself on the bench, the 22-year-old midfielder was ushered down the tunnel by a member of the Tottenham medical staff.

Yves Bissouma replaced Sarr shortly after the break and, just moments later, Ezri Konsa fired Aston Villa into the lead. The 27-year-old defender latched onto a loose ball in the six-yard box following a deep corner, hooking it past Antonín Kinský.

Rooted to the spot, Bissouma was nutmegged by the strike. Sarr could join a long list of injured players at Tottenham ahead of the Europa League final; Dejan Kulusevski recently suffered a knee injury, which required surgery.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the trip to Villa Park, Ange Postecoglou announced the setback. The Tottenham boss said: "Disappointing news. Initially, we thought it wasn’t too serious.

"The medical team were worried structurally about how the knee was, but it blew up the day after, and we knew there was an issue there. He has had surgery, and it will put him out for at least a few months."

On whether he'll be fit for the start of next season, Postecoglou added: "We will see. To be honest, I have only got basic information at the moment in terms of recovery but it will certainly put him out for a while."

Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall is nursing an ankle injury. On whether the 19-year-old midfielder has made a 'miraculous recovery', Postecoglou said: "No, it is still the same sort of timeframe.

"He was never a long-term one, but he has literally just got out of the boot and taken his first tentative steps on the grass, but he won’t be available [for the Villa clash on Friday]."

On whether the flurry of injuries has affected morale ahead of the United clash next week, Postecoglou said: "Look, I guess because it’s been a constant with us during the year, we’ve kind of become almost accustomed to it.

"It would probably be a bigger issue if we had a smooth run all year and got hit with injuries now and deal with missing key players, but we’ve pretty much been without key players all season.

"There hasn’t been a time where we had a three or four week spell with our strongest line-up, so the boys are getting on with it. They’re disappointed for the people involved and Deki being the latest one because he had a fantastic first part of the year for us and was just working his way back into it.

"At the same time as I keep saying to the group all along, you can’t pick and choose when these opportunities come along. There could be other years where we don’t have these disruptions and injuries, but we don’t get to a final.

"The reality of it is now the opportunity is there and whatever happens between now and then, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready for it..."

Another injury to a Tottenham player could throw a spanner in the United works ahead of the Europa League final. Ruben Amorim may find it difficult predict Spurs' lineup, thus complicating his own preparation.

Roy Keane launches furious Man United and Tottenham Europa League attack - 'It's a disgrace!'

Roy Keane did not hold back on his comments when discussing Manchester United's domestic season

Roy Keane has criticised Manchester United for their handling of this season’s Premier League campaign, calling it 'nothing short of a disgrace'.

United are set for their worst league finish since the 1973/74 season - currently languishing in 16th place in the Premier League. Ruben Amorim's side have only won ten of their 36 games and lost 17.

Despite a disastrous campaign, Manchester United will face Tottenham - who have also had a challenging season - in the Europa League final.

During his habitual appearance on Sky Sports ahead of Friday night's clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Keane did not hold back when addressing his former club's domestic campaign. When asked if there is more pressure on Chelsea ahead of the game, Keane launched into a furious attack on his former club.

"Chelsea have coped with that a few weeks ago when Liverpool came down and had won the league and they turned up and put in a good performance, particularly in the second half with some of their star men turning up," he said.

"That's why everything points to home victories. I agree with Jamie [Redknapp], I think the way United and Spurs have handled their league campaigns and European football is, from United's point of view, I think it's been nothing but a disgrace I really do. The lack of effort in some of the games, they've not put up enough of a fight.

"It's not the Champions League they're not demanding games, they've played lesser opposition, how they've not been able to balance it and cope with the demands of being at a big club, I just don't understand it.

"I really don't get it. But from Chelsea's point of view, you'd be rubbing your hands playing United tonight."

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Why Man United, Chelsea and Tottenham are in action on Friday night - kick-off details explained

Manchester United will take on Chelsea ahead of next week’s Europa League final

Manchester United and three other Premier League teams are in action on Friday night in a rare double-header.

Usually, only one game is featured as part of Sky Sports' Friday Night Football, but this time around, United will take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, while Tottenham travel to the West Midlands to face Aston Villa. In addition to Ruben Amorim's team, Spurs and Chelsea have their eyes on bigger priorities.

United and Spurs will face each other in the Europa League final while Chelsea will take on Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final.

But why are all four teams playing on a Friday night? Here, MEN Sport brings you all the information you need to know.

Why the Friday night kick-off?

The Reds' match was originally scheduled for Friday, but following a request from Spurs, their Premier League moved their game against Villa forward.

Spurs' match was initially scheduled for Sunday afternoon (May 18), which would have given them just 72 hours' rest before the final on May 21.

As a result, Spurs requested their game be rescheduled to the same evening as United's, who would otherwise have had extra days of rest.

Furthermore, last season the Premier League and Football Association reached an agreement to set aside a specific day for the men’s FA Cup final, ensuring no Premier League fixtures take place on Saturday.

The FA Cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace will take place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, kicking off at 4.30pm.

When announcing details for this season’s final, the FA stated the fixture would be held on an ‘exclusive Saturday’ with no Premier League matches scheduled until Sunday, and no top-flight games the night before, to ensure full focus on the build-up to the showpiece event.

In a statement confirming changes to this season’s Cup, the FA said last year: "The Emirates FA Cup Final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on an exclusive Saturday with no Premier League fixtures taking place on the same day.

"Additionally, there will be no Premier League games on the Friday night before the final, to allow focus on the build-up to the showpiece event."

On Sunday, Chelsea and United will meet in the Women’s FA Cup final. As a result, both clubs asked for their Premier League fixture to be moved to avoid detracting from their women’s teams.

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Tottenham confirm major injury blow ahead of Man United Europa League final - 'Out for a while'

Tottenham Hotspur will be without Dejan Kulusevski for the Europa League final against Manchester United.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has confirmed winger Dejan Kulusevski will be "out for a few months" after undergoing knee surgery.

The Swede was forced off in the first half of Spurs' 2-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday, sparking fears he could miss next Wednesday's Europa League final against Manchester United at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.

Postecoglou played down suggestions he could miss the tussle with United, describing it as a "knock". However, the Manchester Evening News revealed on Wednesday morning that Spurs were fearful he could miss the final.

It was confirmed later in the day by Spurs that he had undergone surgery.

"We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend," a club statement said.

"Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately. We're all with you, Deki."

Now, ahead of their trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday night, Postecoglou has confirmed the winger faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Postecoglou said: "Disappointing news. Initially, we thought it wasn't too serious. It seemed pretty good but it kind of blew up the day after.

"He has had surgery and it will put him out for a few months. We will see.

"To be honest, I have basic information on recovery. It will put him out for a while."

Kulusevski has been a ray of light in a disappointing season for Spurs, contributing ten goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

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Manchester United travel to Bilbao next Wednesday to face Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League

TNT Sports will be broadcasting Manchester United's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur for free next Wednesday.

The television network has announced that fans will be able to watch the game for free in the UK via their Discovery+ app. This decision has been forced upon the broadcaster as UEFA insists that all of their major finals must be free-to-air regardless of their broadcast agreements.

Previously, TNT Sports has live streamed the match on YouTube to accomodate this clause by UEFA. However, it is unclear whether that option will be available in the UK next week when United travel to Bilbao.

Along with the Europa League final, the Conference League final against Chelsea and Antony's Real Betis as well as the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan will be shown for free on the app too. As we move ever closer to the finale, TNT Sports have also confirmed their punditry team for the final in Bilbao.

Jules Breach and Lynsey Hipgrave will be presenting the coverage from the San Mames Stadium and will be joined by ex-Tottenham stars Gareth Bale and Glenn Hoddle and United heroes Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes. Robbie Savage will also be part of the expert panel with Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist in the commentary booth.

The crucial fixture will be imperative for United and Spurs, not only for the trophy but also for Champions League qualification. The winner next week will enter the league phase of the top-tier European competition and will be the sixth club from the Premier League competing in the Champions League.

As well as on the Discovery+ app, fans will be able to watch the final on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.

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