Football London

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed they will be back in all-Lilywhite for Wednesday night's Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao.

Both clubs have endured disastrous domestic seasons, but in just over 48 hours will have the chance to create a historic moment by winning a European trophy. It would, arguably, be a much more significant triumph for Spurs, given it would end a 17-year trophy drought for the north Londoners.

United, meanwhile, are looking to make it three consecutive years with a piece of silverware and a return to UEFA Champions League football after just one season out of it.

Ruben Amorim's side just about head into the meeting as favourites - given the personnel available to both sides and the club's history in such high-profile matches. The return of United's potential game-changer Amad has come with James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski all picking up injuries.

That has left Ange Postecoglou without any progressive ball-carriers in midfield, minus Pape Sarr, but even he is now a doubt after appearing to pick up an issue in the defeat to Aston Villa.

"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," Postecoglou admitted after Sarr headed straight down the tunnel when substituted at Villa Park on Friday night.

Given the lack of creativity available, Destiny Udogie and Pedro Porro will be needed at their very best and there is a positive omen for the latter delivering another great performance in Europe.

In Spurs' last two Europa League home games against Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt, he has picked up a goal and an assist with the Spaniard and his teammates back in the kit worn for those two knockout ties.

"We can confirm the kit colours we will be wearing for Wednesday night's UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao," a Tottenham announcement stated. "Our outfield players will don our traditional all-Lilywhite European strip for the showpiece match against Manchester United.

"It marks the continuation of a tradition stretching back some 64 years.

"Indeed, the all-Lilywhite strip is synonymous with the club playing in European competition since our first foray into the European Cup as English champions in 1961.

"Wednesday's kit will utilise this season's home shirts - which feature navy blue sleeves - paired with white shorts and white socks. Our goalkeeper will wear this season's first-choice yellow keeper's strip.

"Manchester United, meanwhile, will wear their traditional red home shirts but will change from white shorts to black in order to avoid a clash. They’ll wear their usual black socks, with their goalkeeper in green."

Mason Mount has insisted Manchester United will "do everything" in their power to beat Tottenham in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Ruben Amorim's side will make the trip to Bilbao with the aim of lifting the Europa League trophy come Wednesday night. The red side of Manchester have struggled in the Premier League this season and are currently 16th, although Spurs are one point behind them in 17th.

The winners on Wednesday night will qualify for the Champions League, though, which makes the final all the more important. Speaking ahead of the clash, former Chelsea star Mount revealed United's aim is clear - win at all costs.

“As a group, we always try to block out the noise,” Mount said. “As a group, we know the situation we’re in.

“We know the league is not good enough and we haven’t been good enough in that, but the Europa League is something that we look forward to as a final and we want to win that final. It’s a trophy and it’s Champions League football for next season, so we’ll do everything in our powers to win that game.”

The 26-year-old was a key target of Erik ten Hag but only managed 25 appearances for the Dutchman, having been disrupted by injuries following his £55million switch from Chelsea in July 2023. Mount was able to feature in successor Ruben Amorim’s first seven matches in charge, only to be left devastated by a hamstring issue suffered in December’s derby win at Manchester City.

The England international returned in April and, having seen minutes managed in recent weeks, is pushing to start Wednesday’s final against Tottenham as he seeks to build on his stunning semi-final brace against Athletic Bilbao. Mount got another 70 minutes in the tank during Friday’s 1-0 loss at his former club Chelsea, which continued a miserable domestic season that is United’s worst top-flight campaign since relegation in 1973-74.

“I think the football side of it and the injuries is something that obviously I didn’t see coming,” Mount said. “That’s not been easy, but I’ve stayed very focused throughout that whole time.

“Always had the end goal in my mind that it would come good, something will happen and I’ll get a moment where I’ll score a few goals or something will happen. I always believed in that, and I want to do more. It’s not just it’s happened and I’m satisfied – I’m not satisfied yet. I want more and more, win trophies, but it’s not been easy.

“It’s been a tough couple of years but I’ve stayed very focused, so I knew moments like this were going to come and that was always on my mind.”

Manchester United are gearing up for a monumental showdown as they clash with Tottenham in Wednesday's Europa League final.

The stakes couldn't be higher, with European silverware on the line and the tantalising prospect of Champions League qualification for next term. Despite a disappointing season from both teams, victory in the final would provide a glimmer of optimism for the upcoming campaign.

With injuries plaguing both sides, the Red Devils face a race against time to get players fit for the pivotal encounter. Here's the latest team news from the treatment room at Old Trafford...

Diogo Dalot has been sidelined with a muscle injury sustained during the 1-0 loss against Wolves on Easter Sunday. Whilst head coach Ruben Amorim confirmed the Portuguese defender would miss a number of matches, he was hopeful for a return before the end of the season.

Dalot was observed undertaking solo training drills at Carrington last week, fuelling speculation about his potential involvement in the final. Addressing the press, 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."

Following a comeback from an earlier setback, Matthijs De Ligt had to exit the fray just 35 minutes into the 4-3 thriller against Brentford due to a knee concern.

Doubts still linger over De Ligt's availability for the Spurs clash after missing an open training session last Wednesday, with Amorim acknowledging the defender is in a tight spot to return in time.

"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," Amorim said.

Leny Yoro was forced off in the second half of the West Ham United defeat with a foot issue and was spotted limping out of Old Trafford. He missed Wednesday's open training, opting for gym work instead, but could potentially be back for the clash at San Mames..

Elsewhere in central defence, although Evans trained on Wednesday, he was absent from the squad that faced Chelsea on Friday night. His last United appearance was in December, when he scored in the 4-3 loss to Spurs.

Lisandro Martinez has been a long-term absentee since rupturing his ACL in the 2-0 Crystal Palace defeat at Old Trafford in February. Following successful surgery, he is progressing well in his recovery.

United are staying tight-lipped on the exact length of absence expected, but it's clear he won't be back on the pitch this season.

Joshua Zirkzee was sidelined due to a hamstring injury sustained in United's heavy 4-1 loss at the hands of Newcastle United last month.

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

Despite this, Zirkzee has signalled his intentions to try and make a return for the season's climax. It's yet to be determined if he'll be fit for the trip to Spain, with the side set to travel on Monday afternoon.

It is UEFA Europa League final week. Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United at San Mames in Bilbao with the first European trophy of the season up for grabs.

Manchester United go into the clash having not lost a game in the Europa League this season and are slight favourites to lift the trophy on Wednesday night.

Both teams have had horrific domestic campaigns. With one Premier League game to go, Spurs are 17th, with United just one point and one place above them.

The success of the season really does come down to this one match.

Tottenham are flying out to Bilbao on Monday afternoon, following a light training session at Hotspur Way on Monday morning. Media duties will follow on Tuesday, as well as another training session on the pitch at San Mames to familiarise themselves with the surface and the stadium.

Manchester United will also be fulfilling media duties, but are doing things slightly differently to Spurs.

Ruben Amorim's team have recently played at the stadium in Bilbao, having dispatched with Athletic Club 7-1 on aggregate in the semi-final. And there is something different about their build-up that may well frustrate Spurs.

While Tottenham will be holding an open training session on the San Mames pitch on Tuesday afternoon, following their press conference for the final, United have opted not to do so.

UEFA Article 78.01 states: "Both clubs must make their training session on the day before the match open to the media for at least 15 minutes in accordance with the schedule agreed in advance with UEFA. The two training sessions must be arranged by the two clubs and UEFA together, so that the media can attend both."

United's training session will be open to the media, but it will be back home at their Carrington training base on Tuesday, before they travel out to Bilbao that afternoon.

We are now only two days away from Ange Postecoglou and his Tottenham team walking out at San Mames Stadium for the Europa League final. In a season which has been so frustrating and disappointing in the Premier League, Spurs have the opportunity to finish the campaign on a high by putting an end to their trophy drought for good.

Manchester United are also in the same boat as the Lilywhites, with the sides currently languishing 16th and 17th in the Premier League table respectively with one game to go. Both go into the final on the back of defeats but their domestic form has been in complete contrast to their performances and results in Europe.

Amid plenty of question marks over Postecoglou's Tottenham team selection at Aston Villa on Friday night, the Australian opted to switch things up and leave some of his key players on the substitutes' bench. Others, such as Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, were kept on ice and missed out on the 20-man matchday party completely.

Postecoglou's decision regarding his team dropped a huge hint over his selection for the final and all will become clear on Wednesday evening. In regards to those who started on the bench, Guglielmo Vicario will take his place in goal, Pedro Porro will operate at right-back, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma start in midfield and then Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison look set to take their place in attack.

A place for Richarlison in the Tottenham XI for the final may be a talking point for some Tottenham fans but Postecoglou's decisions over the past two games point to the Brazilian getting the nod. After all, he was an unused substitute against Crystal Palace and then he was introduced for the final three minutes plus stoppage time at Villa Park on Friday.

The fact he wasn't brought on before Solanke, who replaced Son Heung-min on 74 minutes, does appear to indicate that he will have a huge role to play in the final from the off. Add Romero, Van de Ven and Udogie to the mix and that leaves one spot remaining in the starting XI.

The final place may all depend on Postecoglou's thinking when it comes to his formation. If it is to be a 4-3-3 setup, one of Pape Matar Sarr or Wilson Odobert could start, meaning club captain Son begins the game on the bench.

A 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation, however, and that would play into the South Korean's hands after returning to the pitch in the past two games. Son played the vast majority of the match at Villa Park on Friday and that will have done him the world of good heading into the final after some lively moments against Aston Villa.

Postecoglou and his coaching staff now have limited time remaining to decide on their team to take on Manchester United, with perhaps only one position in the team there for the taking. Speaking ahead of the Aston Villa fixture, the former Celtic boss outlined what the next couple of days will look like for the team before the Europa League final comes around.

"We’ve kind of mapped it out. It’s a day-to-day proposition and a lot will depend on who plays and what I decide about tomorrow night and who plays and who doesn’t, then making sure the guys who don’t and will potentially be involved on Wednesday we get some good training into them because I think that’s important," he said.

"Our programme at the moment, all things being equal, we do the Villa game, won’t get back until late, Saturday will be a sort of rest day for the players, we'll train Sunday, a good session for us and then train here Monday morning and fly to Bilbao on Monday afternoon. Have a run on the pitch the night before and game Wednesday."

Set to fly out to Bilbao later today, hopefully the Europa League trophy will be on the return journey with them come the end of the week.

Manor Solomon's agent has confirmed the winger wants to compete in the Premier League next season.

The Israeli international has returned to Tottenham Hotspur following a pivotal role in Leeds United's title-winning season. During his loan spell at Elland Road, Solomon quickly won over the fans with his dazzling performances on the left wing.

The 25-year-old ended the campaign with 22 goal contributions from 39 Championship outings and secured his place in Leeds' history by netting an exceptional solo goal on the final day of the season against Plymouth Argyle, ensuring Leeds edged out Burnley for the title based on goal difference.

However, it's unclear where Solomon will be playing his football next season. Leeds Live report that Leeds are keen to bring him back, while French heavyweights Marseille have also shown interest in securing Solomon's services.

football.london previously reported that it was understood Solomon would certainly consider a move to Leeds if they got promoted after enjoying his time at the West Yorkshire club. However, there is also expected to be further interest in him this summer from Premier League sides as well as more from abroad which could give both Tottenham and the winger plenty to think about.

There is also the prospect of a new manager at Spurs next season with Ange Postecoglou's future the subject of plenty of speculation and any new head coach might want to look at Solomon first before deciding on the future for a player who has a contract until 2028 with the north London outfit.

Shlomi Ben Ezra, Solomon's agent, has dismissed the idea of the winger moving to France and insists he wants to remain in England. “[Roberto] De Zerbi sent a message to Manor, but he told him that he could not play for Marseille for political reasons," Ben Ezra was quoted as saying by French magazine Le 10 Sport.

“It’s difficult to play in another league when you’ve had a taste of the Premier League. Manor is having a great time at Leeds, but he’s under contract with Spurs.

“He likes the Premier League, but in football, you never know… It all depends on what Daniel Levy wants to do. Manor likes English football and he’ll prefer the Premier League… But in football, you never know what might happen.”

Tottenham are set to face Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday evening, before concluding their disappointing Premier League season with a home match against Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend.

Solomon said in an interview back in January with The Athletic that he is waiting to see what the future holds. "I love it here," he said. "I love the fans. I love the club. I love the players, the manager.

"Especially now, I’m really enjoying it and I love living here. Of course, it’s different to London, less things to do and we have less friends here. All the Israelis, they live in London, but we found our place here.

"You can’t predict what will happen in the future, whether I come back to Tottenham, whether I go to a different team, or whether I stay here in Leeds, you can’t predict it, but, of course, for me, the door is really open."

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed his players' ability to avoid slipping down the Premier League table like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United after suffering injuries this season.

All three teams have struggled with their own injury crises throughout the season but while Arsenal have managed to stick around the top five and challenged Liverpool for the Premier League title, Spurs and United have struggled. The Gunners' historic rivals have been left floundering in the bottom half of the table this season.

While never in danger, both clubs sit just outside the relegation places but one shall qualify for next season's Champions League as they face off in Bilbao on Wednesday night in the Europa League final. The winner of that tie will be in the league phase of the Champions League next season.

Reflecting on the Gunners' season, Arteta took a slight dig at Tottenham and United. "Well we are clearly very disappointed because we wanted to be here with the Premier League or the Champions League and it is not the case," he told Sky Sports.

"But chasing a dream has its ups and downs but make sure that it doesn’t get blurry and it does get recognised what we have done because any other team, and I have seen it with one injury, [you can end up] finishing eighth, 16th or 17th. So this team to go through the season and sustain this level is incredible.

"We don’t want anyone to value it but me, as a manager, has to value what this team has done." Due to their goal difference, Arsenal look set to finish second in the Premier League this season with a win expected at bottom club Southampton on the final day.

As for Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou's sides, they can only finish as high as 14th this season but that could slip away from them if Wolverhampton Wanderers beat FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in midweek.

Tottenham striker Richarlison has opened up on what has been a frustrating season personally ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United.

The 28-year-old has missed a number of games this season due to injury, with the Brazilian making just 22 appearances in all competitions. Now back to full fitness, the former Everton man will be hoping to make an impact in Bilbao when Ange Postecoglou's side face off against Man Utd on Wednesday, May 21.

After starting Friday night's 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on the bench, Richarlison could be handed a start against United and he will be hoping to add to his five goals and two assists this campaign. Speaking to the official Tottenham website, Richarlison said: "I'm delighted to be competing in my first final in European football. We're dreaming of winning the title and I think fans are really looking forward to this moment as well.

"It's been a long time since the club won a trophy, so excitement is at its maximum. We know we need to be focused and work hard during the week as it's going to be a great game."

Richarlison played on the left against Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals, although he could also play just behind Dominic Solanke given Spurs will be without Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall. Asked if he has thought about scoring in the final, the forward said: "I think it's a dream just to be playing in the final. I hope to be able to score in the final as well, I have objectives to meet.

"Of course, this season hasn't been what I expected due to some injuries that have held me back a bit. I've experienced great moments in my career. I've won trophies with thee Brazilian national team.

"I've been decisive in many games. I think it will be a great game. I hope to go into it focused so that if the opportunity comes I'm in the right place to bring joy to all of us."

Manchester United have confirmed the kit they will be wearing for the Europa League final against Tottenham in Bilbao next Wednesday.

In just over 72 hours, the two Premier League sides will compete for a European trophy and a spot in next season's Champions League. Given their disastrous domestic seasons, there is no outright favourite but United's illustrious history in comparison to Spurs could give them the advantage.

However, the Lilywhites have beaten United on three separate occasions this season and have scored 8 goals in those fixtures. Ahead of the showpiece clash, both Tottenham and Ruben Amorim's side were beaten away from home on Friday night by a team chasing a top-five finish.

A heavily-rotated Spurs lost 2-0 to Aston Villa while a very strong United starting XI were undone at Chelsea courtesy of a Marc Cucurella header.

Their European form and performances have been much better however, with United and Spurs winning both at home and away in their semi-final. Before and during Tottenham's first leg triumph over Bodo/Glimt, two injury blows emerged and another two have since followed.

Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have been ruled out of the final while there are now doubts surrounding Pape Matar Sarr after he hobbled off at Villa.

As for United, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt are big doubts with Joshua Zirkzee ruled out. The return of Amad has been welcome and Ayden Heaven was able to bolster Amorim's defensive ranks by featuring for the first time in two months off the bench at Stamford Bridge.

With both managers likely to give fresh updates as the clash gets closer, some other big decisions are starting to be confirmed. One of those has been revealed this weekend with United making an announcement confirming their kit colours for the final.

"We can reveal Ruben Amorim’s side are due to wear our red shirts, with black shorts and black socks," a club statement read.

"The last time we turned out in this combination was in the away tie at Real Sociedad in the same competition, when Joshua Zirkzee’s goal earned a 1-1 draw on the road.

"Our starting goalkeeper is set to wear all green."

As Tottenham will be swapping out blue shorts to wear all white, United will be donning black shorts to avoid a kit clash with that not done too often this season. Prior to the 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad, United have worn only a home shirt with black shorts just four other times.

Away to Everton, Manchester City, Ipswich Town and Fenerbahce, United lined up in a red and black strip. Four of those matches ended level with the other being a historic 2-1 win at Etihad Stadium which could be seen as a good omen.

United have lost three times to Spurs in the last eight months when wearing white shorts so rocking up to the Basque country in an unbeaten kit could be a sign of things to come, but Spurs will be hoping that is not the case.

Tottenham are one game away from perhaps their best and worst season in decades.

It's a strange contradiction, with the chance to win European silverware contrasting sharply with their horrendous form in the Premier League. Fortunately for Spurs, they will be facing a side on Wednesday evening with almost as bad domestic form in Manchester United.

Both teams had a far-from-ideal final preparation for the trip to Bilbao, with Spurs defeated by Aston Villa while Ruben Amorim's side fell to defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

It is the continuation of a trend in the Premier League for both sides, who are both set for their worst domestic season in a considerable amount of time. Ultimately, both managers could be in danger even if they lift the trophy at San Mames.

Ange Postecoglou, in particular, is in a precarious position. It has been thought for some time that the Europa League campaign is perhaps the only thing currently saving his job following an underwhelming season in which his squad has been stretched to its limits.

With so many injuries throughout the team, a number of players have been elevated beyond what their roles were initially planned to be this season. The likes of Archie Gray have played far more minutes than expected, most of which have come as a centre-back - a position he can play, though it is not his favoured one.

Then, there is Lucas Bergvall. The midfielder has entrenched himself in the first team this year following his arrival from Sweden last summer, in his first season at the highest of levels in Europe.

Bergvall picked up an ankle injury in training at the start of the month which looks to have ended his season prematurely. While Postecoglou has poured a dampener on any suggestion that the Swedish star could return to action for the clash against Manchester United, he did state that his player is doing everything he can to try and get back.

Having only turned 19 in February, one might have expected the young midfielder to have played a smaller part off the pitch. But that's not the case, according to the manager.

Following the defeat against Aston Villa, Postecoglou was asked about the return to action of Son Heung-min, and how important it was to have the club captain back. His answer, which included a mention of Bergvall, was telling.

"It's important," Postecoglou told reporters. "Especially when we've lost some key players in recent times. Madders is also one of the leaders, and Deki, and Lucas in the last three weeks.

"Now getting Sonny back at least gives us another experienced player. I think the last two or three fixtures our average age has been three or four years younger than the opposition. You can see that at times so just having another experienced player available is great for the team."

Bergvall being seen as one of the key players for Spurs speaks volumes, not just of how well the youngster has done this season but of how much he may be missed if he can't return in time for the clash at San Mames.