Manchester Evening News

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou spoke to the media on Monday ahead of their Europa League final against Manchester United next week.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has issued an encouraging fitness update on Son Heung-min ahead of their Europa League final showdown with Manchester United next week.

The South Korea international made a timely return from a foot injury on Sunday, stepping off the bench in Spurs' 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace.

After storing 32 minutes under his belt in the second half, Postecoglou has confirmed Spurs now plan to "build him up" ahead of the clash in Bilbao next week.

"From a physical standpoint, [Son] is good," Postecoglou told reporters. "It's important he got some minutes yesterday, more for himself psychologically.

"He had a good session today, didn't do the whole session because he played yesterday. He feels good and we've got eight or nine days to go. We can build him up."

Answering another question on Son's current condition, the Spurs boss added: "In terms of his fitness, he is progressing well. He got minutes yesterday and we should give him some game time on Friday against Aston Villa as well.

"He trains right through and he will be in a good condition. He has worked hard with the medical team to get back. It was a bit of a funny injury with no prescribed length of time [how long he would be out for].

"It was just how he felt and how he progressed, but he worked hard with the medical team. It was important that he got some game time and hopefully he just kicks on now."

Meanwhile, Postecoglou is confident the injury that saw Dejan Kulusevski forced off in the defeat to Palace was nothing more than a knock.

He said: "[He's a] bit sore with his knee. 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."

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Manchester United will be paying an interest as Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou gives injury update about Dejan Kulusevski

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou believes attacker Dejan Kulusevski is going to be okay for the Europa League final against Manchester United despite picking up an injury.

Ten days out from the showdown between the two Premier League teams, Kulusevski lasted only 19 minutes of Spurs' defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Sweden international took a knock to his knee, tried to run it off but ended up receiving treatment and being forced from the action early on.

Speaking at full-time with Sky Sports, his manager Postecoglou clarified: "Yeah, he should be okay."

Pressed by his interviewer, the Spurs boss clarified: "Yeah. He should be okay, yeah."

With Man United looking ahead to the Europa League final, with which Champions League qualification can be won, they will want any advantage they can get.

Unfortunately simultaneously to Spurs' defeat, they too fell to West Ham United at Old Trafford. During the match defender Leny Yoro was forced off with a new problem.

Ruben Amorim's injury list currently contains Tom Collyer, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee.

Meanwhile for Spurs, they had the benefit of captain Son Heung-min returning following a seven-game absence.

Kulusevski's worry adds to injuries for Lucas Bergvall, Radu Dragusin and James Maddison.

The Europe League final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 in Bilbao, Spain.

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Latest Manchester United news as Ruben Amorim's side will face Tottenham in the Europa League final later this month, who have been handed a new injury worry

Tottenham have been handed a major injury worry during their Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Dejan Kulusevski was forced off in the early stages after taking a big hit, potentially to his knee. He tried to run it off but wasn't comfortable, sparking concern ahead of the Europa League final with Manchester United.

After coming off, Kulusevski went straight down the tunnel, with Mikey Moore replacing him.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will hope that it is not a significant injury with the final penciled in for Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.

Spurs have already been hit injuries in that department following recent blows to James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall. Only recently did Postecoglou speak about how happy he was to have Kulusevski back from an inujury to his foot that kept him out for four games.

"Certainly it's good to have Deki available because with Lucas and Madders, (who are) different players obviously, but very creative, going down in the same week," Postecoglou said.

"It's great that Deki's back. He obviously missed a lot of football and it always takes a while to get his rhythm and I feel like he's been getting stronger with every game.

"Against West Ham you could see he was starting to get his rhythm again. Irrespective of where he's at, he's going to work his socks off for the team. He's got an unbelievable engine, he doesn't stop running and he'll be important for us."

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Manchester United face Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League on Wednesday, May 21 at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has suggested there is still a chance that he could feature in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in less than two weeks.

Zirkzee picked up a hamstring injury during the Premier League defeat to Newcastle on Sunday, April 13. Soon afterwards, the striker was ruled out for the remainder of the season as he looked to recuperate.

Speaking to the media ahead of the quarter-final tie against Lyon, Ruben Amorim confirmed: "He is out for the season. He will not play again this season, let's prepare him for the next one.

"It is tough, he was improving in every aspect of the game. It is tough for any player but he has to be ready to recover."

Despite this admission from his manager, Zirkzee appeared to tell his friend and Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies on his Twitch stream that there is a chance he could return to take on Spurs. When asked about his recovery and told to rest up, the Dutchman appeared to tell Davies that it would be 'difficult but not impossible' to return in Bilbao.

Davies and Zirkzee became friends during their time together at Bayern Munich. The pair played together on 16 occasions before a couple of loan spells at Parma and Anderlecht convinced the forward to join Bologna permanently in 2022.

It has been a difficult first season for Zirkzee in the Premier League. However, after reaching his lowest spot at Old Trafford when he was jeered off the pitch having been substituted against Newcastle in the first-half, the forward managed to regroup in a different role.

Latest Manchester United news as Tottenham prepare for a big boost ahead of the Europa League final with captain Son Heung-min returning to the side this weekend

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou could ring the changes for his side's game against Crystal Palace on Sunday amid a potential injury boost.

Spurs booked their place in the Europa League final against Manchester United later this month with a 5-1 aggregate defeat of Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the competition.

A 2-0 win at Bodo/Glimt's Aspmyra Stadion, which has an artificial pitch, rubber-stamped Tottenham's ticket to Bilbao for the final on May 21.

Postecoglou has had to deal with a tough injury list over the course of the season with playmaker James Maddison the latest to be added to it.

He suffered a knee injury in the first leg against Bodo/Glimt just over a week ago and will now miss the rest of the campaign.

However, Postecoglou is set for a boost on Sunday with captain Son Heung-min primed to return to the side.

Son has missed the past seven games with a foot injury but is now making a timely return for Postecoglou, who is also without Radu Dragusin (knee) and Lucas Bergvall (ankle), with both set to miss the remainder of the season.

Spurs were rocked by the injuries to Bergvall and Maddison this month at a time when Postecoglou was starting to welcome players back to fitness.

"Everyone got through OK the other night," Postecoglou said at a press conference on Saturday.

"Half-hopeful that we get Sonny some minutes tomorrow so he'll be the only one that sort of can come back in.

"I think what we do know about Thursday night, playing on an artificial pitch takes a lot out of the players - it's fair to say they were sore.

"I remember when we played Tamworth, we actually got a couple of injuries in the game straight after that, I think, because of the surface.

"So, we've got to be really careful about tomorrow's game, but next Friday it's a bit different.

"I think we've just got to make decisions we think (are right).

"Ultimately we want to be in a great condition come the final of Europa, so we'll use that."

United, meanwhile, remain without Lisandro Martinez (knee) and Joshua Zirkzee (thigh) who are out for the rest of the season.

Ayden Heaven is yet to return after appearing to damage his ankle against Leicester City in March while Diogo Dalot (calf) has missed the last four games.

Matthijs de Ligt remains out with a knee injury picked up during the game against Brentford on Sunday.

Tottenham will face Manchester United in the Europa League final on May 18 as they look to end their 17-year wait for a trophy, and Micky van de Ven has promised they will show no fear

Micky van de Ven is acutely aware that only Europa League success in Bilbao will define Tottenham's season as a success, yet he assures that the team will face Manchester United in the all-English final without any trepidation.

Spurs secured their spot in the final with a solid 2-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt on Thursday, culminating in a dominant 5-1 aggregate win in what turned out to be an unbalanced semi-final encounter.

Amid a spell of underwhelming Premier League performances, manager Ange Postecoglou has come under intense scrutiny and faced a barrage of criticism. However, Tottenham now stand on the brink of clinching their first piece of silverware in 17 years after another commanding performance in the knockout stages.

However, United have carved their path to the final with two impressive victories against Athletic Bilbao and carry a reputation for recent cup success.

Despite this, and even with key players such as James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, and captain Son Heung-min sidelined due to injuries, Postecoglou's squad has already beaten United three times this season, instilling confidence in Van de Ven.

"To be in a European final with Tottenham is a big thing for the fans and the club. For me personally, I'm really proud to be part of it," Van de Ven told PA Sport.

"Everything can happen in a final but we're not going there with fear. Of course we know our qualities, we know it's going to be a difficult game, Man United showed their quality in this European campaign.

"Everybody goes to Bilbao to win a trophy. It has been a tough season and it will only be successful if we win the Europa League and get the trophy."

Van de Ven's season has been marred by frustration, with a hamstring injury in October followed by further complications in December and January, keeping him out of action for a total of four months.

His fellow centre-back Cristian Romero also spent a significant period on the sidelines during the winter, yet the pair have proven to be a solid partnership in matches against AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Bodo.

"Cuti's an unbelievable player. You can see that mentality wise, with the ball, without the ball, he knows how it is to play these types of games," Van de Ven added.

"You can see it in how he is. He shows so much to the rest, he helps the whole team. My partnership with Cuti, we feel each other. He knows what to do, I know what to do. We back each other.

"Of course for me personally it's a tough season. I didn't play a lot of games, but now I'm going to play a European final, the first final of my career, for me, unbelievable.

"A season with ups and downs and hopefully I can end up with more positive things.

"We're in a European final, one game away from a trophy and I think the mentality we showed was unbelievable.

"We showed a lot of discipline. Also the Frankfurt away game, we kept a clean sheet and won over there.

"Everybody had doubts when we came over here because Bodo/Glimt was doing unbelievable in their home games in Europe, so we knew from the beginning it was going to be a really tough game but we showed discipline, mentality.

"We did what we needed to do, we got a clean sheet and now we go to Bilbao."

Latest Manchester United news and gossip as Ruben Amorim is handed a major selection boost for the Europa League final vs Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United have a UEFA rule to thank as they are handed a major boost ahead of the Europa League final.

United booked a spot in the final in Bilbao thanks to a 4-1 victory over Athletic Club in the semi-final second leg on Thursday night.

Ruben Amorim's side ran out 7-1 winners on aggregate to book a place in the Europa League final, where they will face Tottenham Hotspur in Spain on Wednesday, May 21.

Victory in the final would see United not only win a major trophy, the first under Amorim's tenure but also clinch qualification for next season's Champions League.

Casemiro was on the score sheet for United in the victory at Old Trafford on Thursday, along with Rasmus Hojlund, while Mason Mount scored a brace to help secure the victory over Bilbao.

Thanks to a UEFA rule, United will be handed a major boost when it comes to Casemiro's availability for the final later this month.

The Brazilian was shown a yellow card in the win on Thursday, which was his third in the Europa League campaign so far.

UEFA rules state that three bookings result in a player being handed an automatic one-match suspension. However, this threshold only applies up to the end of the quarter-final stages, meaning any cautions picked up in the semi-finals do not apply to the three-card rule.

This means that Casemiro will not be forced to miss the Europa League final against Tottenham due to a ban. Instead, Amorim will be able to call on the midfielder in Bilbao should the United head coach wish to do so.

Bruno Fernandes is the only other United player with three yellow cards in the Europa League this season, but served a suspension earlier in the campaign.

This means United will not have any players sidelined due to suspension for the final against Tottenham later this month.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur booked their places in the Europa League final on Thursday night with victories over Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt respectively

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison has admitted he is 'gutted' that he will be missing the Europa League final against Manchester United in less than two weeks.

United and Spurs both booked their places in the European finale on Thursday night with comfortable victories over Athletic Bilbao and Bodo/Glimt, respectively. The Reds, inspired by Mason Mount, eased to a 4-1 win at Old Trafford to advance 7-1 on aggregate.

Meanwhile, a professional Tottenham beat Bodo/Glimt 2-0 in Norway to advance 5-1 on aggregate. The results means that United and Spurs will be battling it out to become the sixth English club in the Champions League next season despite their horrid Premier League campaigns.

Ahead of the final on May 21, Tottenham are already struggling with an injury crisis as key midfielder Maddison was ruled out for the season with a knee injury earlier this week. This of course means that the England international will not be in the squad that faces Ruben Amorim's side in Bilbao.

On Friday, with the final now confirmed, Maddison released a statement on Instagram expressing his regret that he won't be playing in the game. "Gutted. Just absolutely gutted," he wrote.

"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. #COYS"

It has been a challenging season for Maddison, like it has been for many of the players that will take the field in Bilbao, but he still remains a big loss for Ange Postecoglou's side. He has scored 12 goals this season, including a winner over United in the Premier League, and bagged himself 11 assists across all competitions.

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Manchester United are just one match away from ensuring that this season has not been a total write off.

The Premier League has been a tough watch for United fans with most matches ranging from poor to downright embarrassing. While there has been brief glimmers of hope in the bread and butter, the Europa League has been the home of United's better performances.

And so it proved to be the case on Thursday night. For 70 minutes it was a nervy affair but Ruben Amorim's second half substitutes turned the game in United's favour and arguably the last 20 minutes were some of the best football that the club has played under their head coach to date.

Now United head into the final to face a familiar opponent who they will have bad memories of coming up against. This season, the Reds have lost three times to Tottenham Hotspur and there could be little complaints about any of the scorelines.

Amorim joked that United must now be due a victory considering the results so far this season but if they are to do that, they must make full use of the advantage of having already played in the San Mames Stadium. Of course, the host arena for the final is also the home of Athletic Bilbao and the Reds showed they know exactly how to get a result at the Basque stadium.

In the first leg of their Europa League semi-final last week, United showed they were not overwhelmed by the intimidating atmosphere inside the San Mames Stadium. From 30 minutes onwards, United dominated and while they were helped by their man advantage, they never looked in danger of letting their comfortable lead slip.

This time, United shall benefit from a less hostile crowd with at least 14,500 supporters in the stadium cheering on Amorim's men. But it cannot be underestimated how important it is for professional footballers to be familiar with their surroundings before a game of this magnitude.

Tottenham will head into the unknown in a couple of weeks' time while United should feel confident that they can replicate their game plan that served them so well against Athletic Club previously.

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Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on May 21, but there have been concerns over whether the San Mames Stadium is big enough to host the final

Despite concerns over the size of the San Mames stadium, UEFA maintain that the Europa League final will not be moved from Bilbao.

The Basque city secured the rights to host this year's event back in 2021. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out for the Europa League in less than a fortnight.

United's last triumph in this competition was back in 2017, while Tottenham's most recent European victory was in 1984. United dashed Athletic Bilbao's hopes of playing a final in their own stadium at the semi-final stage.

Ruben Amorim's team won 3-0 in the first leg in the Basque Country, followed by a 4-1 victory in the second leg at Old Trafford on Thursday. Spurs, on the other hand, managed to avoid a loss to Norwegian underdogs Bodo/Glimt, following up a 3-1 win in the first leg with a 2-0 victory in the return fixture on Thursday night.

This sets the scene for an all-Premier League final, scheduled for May 21. However, given the large fan bases of both clubs, questions have been raised about whether Bilbao can accommodate the final.

The Independent reports that UEFA has dismissed these concerns, stating there is 'no chance' of the final being relocated to an English venue. The San Mames boasts an official capacity of 53,289.

The demand for tickets from supporters of the two finalist teams will far exceed the allocation. Both United and Spurs will receive approximately 15,000 tickets each, with an additional 11,000 available for general sale and the rest reserved for hospitality and sponsors.

Previous all-English European finals have been played at their intended venues, such as Chelsea's Champions League victory over Manchester City in 2021 in Porto, Liverpool's triumph against Spurs in 2019 in Madrid, and the Blues' Europa League win against Arsenal in the same year in Baku. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou is looking forward to facing United, stating: "It's going to upset a lot of people isn't it.

"The debate's now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy."

He went on to add: "I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league? If it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone who finishes in the top three do it?

"It's a separate thing. It's got nothing to do with league form.

"I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there."

His opposite number Amorim, meanwhile, mentioned the stakes are high for the final."I'm stressed already because of the final, because if you don't win it, in the end, it's nothing," he explained to reporters.

"So, we are happy to be there. Let's see."

"I think it's going to be a really good game," he added. "A little bit emotional because both teams are struggling a lot in the Premier League and want to win something.

"Two teams who play in the same league and know each other. It means a lot, not just to us but also for Tottenham.

"It means a lot, not just for me but also for Ange [Postecoglou], after this season. It's a massive game and I know it's going to be tough for the people in Bilbao because they wanted to play in the final at home."