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With a clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on the horizon in the Europa League final still to come on Wednesday, here is an update on the fitness of the United squad ahead of the final.

Wednesday, 21 May is set to see two clubs from the bottom five of the Premier League lock horns in the final of the Europa League – Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Given their abysmal Premier League campaigns, both sides will be desperate to get their hands on the trophy in what has otherwise been a season to forget.

Up for grabs is also a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League – a route neither side would have had if not for this cup run, making Wednesday’s showdown a must-win.

Tottenham and Manchester United injury news ahead of the Europa League final

Both clubs would want to come into this tie in the best possible condition, with their strongest starting eleven on the pitch.

Tottenham have already suffered a few setbacks on the injury front, with James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski all expected to miss the final. Pape Matar Sarr is now also a doubt, having picked up a back injury in Spurs’ Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

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As for Manchester United, they are facing their own injury crisis. In fact, in their clash against Chelsea, where Ruben Amorim went full strength, six key players were missing from his starting XI.

Of those six, five are defenders, and four are centre-backs – an area that has been heavily hit. Here is a breakdown of Manchester United’s current injuries:

Man United defensive issues could hand Spurs advantage

Although Manchester United will be without Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro and Jonny Evans for the final, there is still a possibility that Matthijs de Ligt could feature come Wednesday.

United have also received a timely boost with Luke Shaw returning to fitness a few weeks before the final. Given his versatility and experience, he is likely to be one of the players Ruben Amorim turns to in defence.

At this point, it is expected that United will line up with Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw as their centre-backs, coming up against the likes of Tottenham captain Heung-min Son, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson.

All eyes will be on Manchester United when they take on Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday. But how could United lineup against Spurs in the final? Here’s our predicted Man United XI to face Tottenham in the Europa League.

While Tottenham Hotspur fans would be desperate to see their side win silverware for the first time since 2008, a trophy would be just as important for Manchester United.

Indeed, United are a side with a great history of winning silverware, and even in seasons where they perform poorly, the Red Devils still get their hands on a trophy.

Last season, Erik ten Hag won the FA Cup, and this season, Ruben Amorim, despite sitting in 16th, has the Manchester club in the final of the Europa League.

Predicted Manchester United line-up vs Tottenham in the Europa League final

In the build-up to the final, Ruben Amorim took a different approach to that of Ange Postecoglou in terms of picking his starting XI for their final clash before the Europa League final.

While Postecoglou opted to wrap his key players in cotton wool, Ruben Amorim named a full-strength Manchester United side in their penultimate Premier League tie of the season.

Of course, United lost, with Chelsea beating them 1-0, while Spurs also suffered defeat, as Aston Villa beat the Lilywhites 2-0.

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This means that both Tottenham and Manchester United will head into their Europa League tie off the back of defeats.

But how could Ruben Amorim set up his side against Spurs in the final on Wednesday? Here is our predicted line-up:

Onana; Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Diallo, Ugarte, Casemiro, Mazraoui; Fernandes, Mount; Hojlund

Ruben Amorim expected to stick with back five for Spurs clash

Of course, we expect Amorim to stick to his back five formation on Wednesday, however, we expect that Amad Diallo could be deployed as a wing-back in place of Dorgu.

In terms of fitness, Matthijs de Ligt is the only one who is currently sidelined but still with a chance of playing on Wednesday.

Should he be passed fit, we expect the Dutch defender to come into the United starting XI in place of one of Shaw or Lindelof.

As for players set to miss the clash, Diogo Dalot is nursing a calf injury, and Joshua Zirkzee will not feature due to a hamstring problem that has ended his season.

Defensive options are limited for the Red Devils, with Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez both expected to miss the final.

As speculation continues to run rife over Ange Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham, the Australian has just made a bullish statement about his own future prospects beyond the end of this season.

The general consensus among most reputable journalists and news outlets seems to be that Postecoglou is likely to depart Tottenham, no matter what happens in the Europa League final.

If the Tottenham board have come to that decision, one can certainly understand why, with Spurs having lost more games this term than any Premier League season in history.

However, paradoxically, the Lilywhites could also end up having their most successful season in a long time, as winning the Europa League will be bigger than any accolade Spurs have won over the last three decades.

Ange Postecoglou says he will continue winning trophies

The Tottenham boss is certainly not shy of talking about his own impressive CV, with Postecoglou infamously pointing out last year that he always wins trophies in his second season at clubs.

The 59-year-old is on course to achieving what he set out to, and he has now insisted that his full focus is on Wednesday’s final, and not on his own future. He also asserted that he will continue winning silverware wherever he is, indicating that he is not worried about what the future holds.

Postecoglou told Sky Sports: “I will continue winning in the future, wherever it may be. I will never allow myself to miss an opportunity that is right before me by thinking about what is beyond that. It is just not the way I am wired. All I am thinking about is the possibility of doing something really special in the next few days.

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“Beyond that, everything will take care of itself. I keep saying, I am blessed to have the life I have. I love what I do. I love winning things. Hopefully, I can win something else again to add to what I have won before.”

Europa League success would immensely boost Postecoglou’s career prospects

The numbers clearly show that Postecoglou has not managed to crack the Premier League, with his record getting progressively worse since he started at the help at Spurs two years ago.

However, if Tottenham beat Man United on Wednesday, the Australian would have achieved something Harry Redknapp, Andre Villas-Boas, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte would have failed to do at N17.

That should ensure that Postecoglou is in high demand across Europe this summer if Spurs do decide to go in a different direction.

Ruben Amorim has said that even though Tottenham Hotspur have a perfect record against Man United this season, his side have one advantage heading into the Europa League final.

It is difficult to say who the favourites are at Bilbao as both Spurs and the Red Devils have had abject seasons domestically, with the pair sitting just above the drop zone.

The struggles of the two clubs add to the stakes on Thursday, with both sides needing a trophy to salvage their campaigns.

There is also the small matter of Champions League qualification on offer for the winners, which is crucial ahead of the summer transfer window for both clubs, with Tottenham’s financial problems being well documented.

Ruben Amorim says Man United know what to expect from Spurs

The North London club will be able to take confidence from the fact that they have beaten United on three occasions already this season.

However, Amorim suggested that the one advantage his side have is that Tottenham will not throw any surprises tactically, insisting that they know what to expect from Ange Postecoglou’s men.

The Portuguese coach told TNT Sports ahead of the final: “We need to look at our two games. One of the things that is good (while) facing Tottenham, they are really good, but you can understand what they are going to do, because they have such a strong identity that they will not change.

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“That is a good thing. For example, Manchester United with [Jose] Mourinho, they changed all the time the way they play because of the opponent. Set-pieces are going to be a key point because they are really strong on that, because they win a lot of corners. So that is a key point.

“We have an idea of how they are going to press, they have an idea of how we are going to build up. So, I think it’s going to be a tough match for both teams.”

Bruno Fernandes fires warning to Tottenham

This admission from Amorim comes just days after his own captain also made a very similar statement, firing a warning shot at Spurs.

Bruno Fernandes insisted that Man United know where Tottenham’s threats will come from, although he was complimentary of the Lilywhites for what they can do on and off the ball.

Fernandes’s and Amorim’s statements suggest that the Red Devils believe that they have come up with a tactical plan to stop Spurs, and it will be interesting to see if Ange Postecoglou sticks to his guns or has a surprise up his sleeve.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side are one game away from history, with a place in the Europa League final now setting the stage for a season-defining moment. Let’s take a look at our predicted Tottenham XI to face Man United in the Europa League.

A lot is riding on the outcome of this singular match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The success of both sides’ seasons rests heavily on the result of this clash, as both clubs have struggled domestically, languishing in the bottom five of the Premier League table.

For Ange Postecoglou, a win here would validate his second-season trophy talk and finally bring silverware back to the Tottenham faithful, who have waited far too long for tangible success.

With everything on the line in Spain, here is our predicted Tottenham starting XI for the Europa League final against Manchester United.

Tottenham predicted XI vs Manchester United in Europa League final

Goalkeeper – Guglielmo Vicario: Antonin Kinsky was given the nod against Aston Villa in the Premier League, but on Wednesday, Guglielmo Vicario should return in goal for Tottenham.

Right-back – Pedro Porro: There has been talk about Ange Postecoglou potentially pushing Pedro Porro up into that ten role, and the manager did not dismiss the idea. However, we expect Porro to retain his place at right-back against Manchester United.

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Centre-back – Cristian Romero: Tottenham have had the more solid backline of the two English sides in Europe this season, with Spurs conceding just 0.9 goals per game in the Europa League. Much of that is down to Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. The Argentine should slot back into the starting XI.

Centre-back – Micky van de Ven: It will have been around 13 days since Micky van de Ven last kicked a ball when he steps out for the final. Ange Postecoglou appears to have wrapped him in cotton wool for this very moment, so he starts.

Left-back – Destiny Udogie: Djed Spence’s recent showings in the Premier League have been far from convincing, with the full-back’s positioning leaving plenty to be desired. Destiny Udogie was rested against Villa, and he should reclaim his spot for the final.

Pivot midfielder – Yves Bissouma: There were murmurs suggesting that Lucas Bergvall could feature in the final, either from the start or off the bench. However, Postecoglou has firmly dismissed those Bergvall rumours, so Yves Bissouma is expected to anchor the midfield.

Central midfielder – Rodrigo Bentancur: Rodrigo Bentancur has been a standout performer for Tottenham during the knockout stages of this competition, and he is expected to continue pulling the strings in midfield.

Central midfielder – Wilson Odobert: There has been much debate over who takes up the ten role, but we believe Wilson Odobert will keep his place. Ange Postecoglou handed Odobert praise after his lively display against Aston Villa, and he is likely to trust him again in this role.

Right midfielder – Brennan Johnson: Tottenham’s top scorer across all competitions simply has to start. Brennan Johnson should be deployed on the right once again.

Striker – Dominic Solanke: Dominic Solanke’s minutes have been managed carefully since the Bodo/Glimt tie, and this final is the reason why. The striker has been in strong European form of late, and Tottenham will be hoping he delivers on the big stage.

Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday with everything on the line – a season-defining clash that could shape the futures of both clubs. Let’s take a look at how to watch the Europa League final action in Bilbao.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will be desperate to see their side leave everything on the pitch when they take on Manchester United in the Europa League final.

It is all or nothing for Ange Postecoglou’s men, who must beat Manchester United if they are to end a two-decade wait for silverware and book a return to the Champions League next season.

Manchester United, currently languishing in 16th place, are equally desperate. Ruben Amorim’s side must win the final to secure European football next season, making this clash at San Mames a high-stakes affair for both teams.

When and where is the game?

The Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will take place at San Mames Stadium on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, with kick-off scheduled for 8 PM (UK time).

How to watch Tottenham vs Manchester United in the Europa League final

Supporters in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate and discovery+.

Spurs and Man United team news ahead of Europa League final clash

Tottenham Hotspur head into this final with a number of injury setbacks to contend with. Radu Dragusin is out for the season with an ACL injury, while James Maddison remains sidelined after picking up a knee injury in the first leg of the semi-final against Bodo/Glimt.

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Pape Matar Sarr is a doubt for the final, having suffered a back injury during their clash with Aston Villa.

Lucas Bergvall is also unavailable, ruled out for the remainder of the campaign due to ankle ligament damage. Dejan Kulusevski is also set to miss out after undergoing surgery on his Patella.

Manchester United are also facing injury concerns ahead of the showdown. Diogo Dalot is nursing a calf injury, and Joshua Zirkzee will not feature due to a hamstring problem that has ended his season.

Defensive options are limited for the Red Devils, with Leny Yoro and Lisandro Martinez both expected to miss the final. Matthijs de Ligt remains a doubt, with a late decision to be made on his fitness before Wednesday night.

Spurs Web Prediction

This is a must-win match for Tottenham Hotspur, as there is simply too much on the line for the club not to treat it as such.

Failure to lift the Europa League trophy would see this season go down as one of the most disappointing in the club’s history and may very well spell the end of Ange Postecoglou’s time in the Spurs dugout.

It also means a lot to Tottenham’s captain, who has labelled the final as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The hope is that his words galvanise the dressing room.

Indeed, Spurs have already beaten Manchester United three times this season, and now they need to do it one final time when it matters most.

Tottenham Hotspur have made plans for a trophy parade in North London later this week if they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao, Alasdair Gold has now confirmed.

All eyes firmly shift to Bilbao as the Lilywhites look to break their 17-year trophy drought and secure a European trophy for just the fourth time in their 143-year history.

According to reports, 15,000 Spurs fans are expected to travel to Bilbao without tickets compared to just 2000 Man United fans, which shows just how big the occasion is for the North London club.

However, that is not to say that the game is not crucial for the Red Devils too, with Champions League qualification on the line, and Bruno Fernandes has already fired a warning shot at Tottenham ahead of the final.

Trophy parade planned by Tottenham on Friday

Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has now revealed that an open-top bus trophy parade has been planned in North London on Friday if Ange Postecoglou’s men are able to get their hands on the trophy.

He explains that local residents, schools and businesses have been made aware that the plans would kick into place should Spurs win on Wednesday evening in Bilbao.

The open-top bus victory parade would begin at Edmonton Green and head down the High Road before ending at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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While some Spurs fans may feel that the club are tempting fate by making these sorts of plans, Gold points out that the parade has to be planned in advance, with the relevant authorities needing to be informed for it to go ahead.

Will Spurs fans dare to dream of Europa League success?

Spurs fans have been burned time and again over the last couple of decades, with their side falling at the final hurdle one too many times.

That is why not too many of them are daring to dream at the moment, as it has almost become second nature for Tottenham fans to prepare for the worst when the side is on the cusp of achieving something special.

However, those moments of heartbreak and pain in the club’s recent history will make it even sweeter should Postecoglou’s men get the job done against Man United.

Despite the defeat, a handful of Tottenham players stood out against Aston Villa, giving Ange Postecoglou something to think about ahead of Wednesday’s final. Here are four Tottenham players who impressed on Friday.

The Tottenham Hotspur starting XI against Aston Villa would not have surprised several Spurs fans.

With a big UEFA Europa League final set to come on Wednesday, it was expected that Ange Postecoglou would have to make some tough calls in what can only be described as a dead rubber league game for Tottenham.

Given that several of his key players have picked up knocks in the weeks leading to the final in Spain, Postecoglou decided to go with a team that had several fringe players in it.

Spurs suffered a 2-0 loss against Aston Villa, a defeat that marked their 21st of the season and the most in the club’s history in English football.

Yet, a few players did look good in the clash against Villa and have staked their claims for a spot in the final on Wednesday.

Kevin Danso was the standout in Tottenham’s defence

A defender rarely comes out as the best player in a game where his side concedes goals, but that is exactly what happened on Tuesday, as Kevin Danso was our highest-rated player for Tottenham.

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The defender played with a lot of passion, putting in blocks, making clearances, mopping up Djed Spence’s errors, while also covering for the full-back each time he was caught out of position.

Of course, Danso would not displace either Cristian Romero or Micky van de Ven, but if Postecoglou is looking to try a back five at some point on Wednesday, Danso has proven that he is very capable of filling in.

In the game against Aston Villa, the defender made three blocks, six clearances, three recoveries and completed 12 defensive actions. It was a top performance.

Antonin Kinsky kept the scoreline respectable

While Guglielmo Vicario had been making errors in a few of his recent games, Postecoglou has since allowed Antonin Kinsky to start in goal in the last two League games for Spurs.

On Friday against Aston Villa, the Czech international was superb and had it not been for his performance, Tottenham could have lost 3 or 4-0.

His ability with the ball at his feet was impressive and his shot-stopping was just as good, with five saves on the day. His command of aerial balls was also evident, with the goalkeeper making five claims.

Indeed, Vicario would be in pole position to start against Manchester United in the Europa League final, but with performances like these from Kinsky, Spurs’ future is bright.

Heung-min Son was a bright spark

The mission for Tottenham against Aston Villa was to get Heung-min Son valuable minutes, and they did just that with the Korean playing for 74 minutes before he was subbed off.

The first-half performance from the Tottenham captain was very positive, as he looked bright and sharp each time he got the ball.

Son looked to drive at his man and did in fact take them on. He stretched the play well and also came inside when needed.

He was direct and inventive, but the final ball was just lacking. Perhaps it is rust, but the forward was one of the better players against Villa and is in pole position to feature on Wednesday.

Wilson Odobert impresses in the Tottenham ten role

Everyone’s eye was on how Postecoglou would set up against Aston Villa without his creative tens – James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall.

We saw the Australian manager try something interesting against Aston Villa, opting to go with two up top in Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel, but Odobert was less advanced.

The Frenchman looked to drop into the pocket to receive the ball and he played well, showing intelligence and could have got on the scoresheet if not for Emiliano Martinez’s save.

He was one of the few good players on the day, and Postecoglou was quick to hand out praise to Wilson Odobert.

He said: “I thought Wilson was good. The issue with Wilson is that he has just missed so much of the season. You can see he lacks match sharpness, but he is an intelligent player.

“Now I thought at times tonight, in tight areas, he found his way forward, and a couple of things did not fall his way. He was unlucky with his finish, which I thought was an outstanding finish, but it fell straight at Emi Martinez.

“I think with Wilson, at least we have got him some significant minutes again. With the way we are in that midfield area, he might be one we need to rely on come Wednesday, so it is good for him to play.”

Whether the youngster starts from the off against Manchester United remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – he is an option for Spurs.

Alasdair Gold has revealed what Lucas Bergvall has decided to do ahead of the Europa League final, with the journalist suggesting that it might give Tottenham supporters some hope that the midfielder has an outside shot of making it to Bilbao.

The fact that Bergvall swept all of Tottenham’s end-of-season awards is a clear demonstration of his supreme importance to this Spurs side and just how big a miss he will be for the Lilywhites at Bilbao.

There were reports doing the rounds a few days ago suggesting that Bergvall has an outside chance of making a shock return for the final.

However, this was quickly quashed by the Tottenham head coach. On Thursday, Postecoglou ruled Bergvall out of the Europa League final, even though the Australian admitted that the midfielder had returned to the grass.

Lucas Bergvall’s decision may offer Tottenham fans a ray of hope

Football.London’s Alasdair Gold has now revealed one interesting decision that the 20-year-old has made, which could be a hint ahead of the big clash against Man United at Bilbao this Wednesday.

The journalist explained that on Tuesday, UEFA made their way to Hotspur Way to do all their promo images and motion captures for the final, and Tottenham Hotspur gave all their injured players the choice of whether they wanted to be involved in the photoshoot.

He explained that while some injured players were not around, Bergvall took up the invitation to take part in the photoshoots.

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Gold added about the Swede’s decision to be part of the promo shoots: “Bergvall’s inclusion in particular will continue to give Tottenham fans some faint hope that the teenager might be feeling that he could play a part on Wednesday night, even if Postecoglou has ruled him out on multiple occasions.”

Alasdair Gold on risky decision awaiting Bergvall and Spurs

In his column, Gold goes on to say that the youngster will be “doing everything to make himself available” for the final, which will undoubtedly be the biggest game of his career until now.

However, he points out that the issue is whether his involvement could potentially risk serious long-term damage, which Tottenham will want to avoid.

Given how important a player the Swede has become for the side, Gold suggests that Postecoglou’s men may not want to take that risk with an important asset.

Ruben Amorim did not hold back in his praise for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham ahead of their Europa League final showdown, sharing exactly what he thinks of the Spurs manager.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are desperate to see their side win a trophy once more, having gone without silverware since lifting the League Cup back in 2008.

The 2024/25 campaign has hardly been one to remember domestically for the North London club, as Tottenham have endured their worst-ever Premier League season, currently sitting in 17th place, one spot above the relegation zone.

Despite the gloom surrounding their league form, the Europa League has offered a beacon of hope, with Tottenham battling their way through the competition and now finding themselves just one game away from ending their long-standing trophy drought.

Ruben Amorim praises Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou ahead of Europa League final

Their final opponents, Manchester United, have not fared much better. The Red Devils are only just above Spurs in 16th place, with their entire season now hinging on the outcome of this final.

Ange Postecoglou would be desperate to back up the fact he stated earlier this campaign that he always wins things in his second season, while Ruben Amorim knows that victory here could provide the perfect launchpad for his own Manchester United managerial career.

The two managers may have different footballing philosophies, but there is no animosity between them. In fact, Amorim was full of praise for Postecoglou’s approach when speaking to BEIN Sports ahead of the clash.

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On Tottenham and Ange, Amorim said: “You can see in our game that we have some things that can help us win, they have a great manager with a great identity, we know how they are going to play, they are really intense, they score a lot of goals and suffer goals also because they want to score all the time.”

Spurs Europa League stats highlight contrast with United

Indeed, Tottenham have looked a different side in Europe compared to their domestic performances.

While Ruben Amorim is right to commend Ange Postecoglou’s side for their attacking threat, it is Manchester United who currently boast the highest goal tally in the competition.

The Red Devils have scored 35 goals in the Europa League, averaging 2.5 per game. Tottenham, by contrast, have found the net 27 times and are averaging 2.3 goals per match.

But where Postecoglou’s men really stand out is in defence. Spurs have conceded just 13 goals in the competition so far, at a rate of 0.9 per game – the third-best defensive record in the tournament.

Manchester United, on the other hand, have allowed 18 goals and are conceding at a rate of 1.3 per match.

On paper, Tottenham look like the more balanced side, but as we all know, finals are rarely won on paper.