Football London

The big day is almost here! Wednesday evening sees Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham side attempt to end the club's silverware drought by going head-to-head with Manchester United for the Europa League trophy.

Spurs have been very impressive across their European campaign this term, with the team only losing two of their 14 games so far. Now they have to make it 15 unbeaten and get the better of the Red Devils for a fourth time this season.

Tottenham have certainly had the upper hand over their Premier League counterparts this campaign, but that all goes out of the window for the showpiece finale in Bilbao. Following some bad news on the injury front of late, Postecoglou has to decide on the perfect team selection to triumph over Ruben Amorim once again.

So who should he pick in his Tottenham team for the Europa League final? Our Spurs writers at football.london have had their say below.

Rob Guest - Football writer

Ange Postecoglou dropped a big hint in regards to his team for the Europa League final with his selection at Aston Villa the other day. Seven of those he named on the bench were clearly rested with the game in Bilbao in mind and the same goes for his decision to leave Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie out of the squad completely.

There is only one place up for grabs and Son Heung-min is leading the way to earn a start after recently returning from injury. The Spurs captain has upped his minutes over the past two games and it would be a huge shock if he didn't start in the Basque Country.

Due to losing some key players to injury, it may be either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation the head coach opts for with Dominic Solanke and Richarlison named up front together. Postecoglou will have options on his bench to switch things about if required, with Lucas Bergvall hopefully someone who can play a part as a sub if he is to give Tottenham a late fitness boost.

Guest's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Johnson, Bissouma, Bentancur, Son; Solanke, Richarlison.

Alasdair Gold - Tottenham Hotspur correspondent

The first decision for Postecoglou is the formation and then that will dictate who plays pretty much because by leaving out 10 players for the game at Villa he was signalling all but one of those who will start in Bilbao.

Depending on the formation, the other spot would go to Son, if he could prove his fitness on Friday night, or Pape Matar Sarr, who had his own back issue in the second half but has a history of playing well against United.

Postecoglou's 4-4-2 formation at Villa Park felt like he was looking at the tactic, albeit with different players, and how it might work within his system. The key player within it in Bilbao would be Dominic Solanke because the striker would have to drop deeper into an attacking midfield role at times behind Richarlison, making it a 4-2-3-1 in moments. Son could also play that role with Richarlison on the left but the captain doesn't have the same physical presence that Solanke does.

Gold's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Johnson, Bissouma, Bentancur, Son; Solanke, Richarlison.

Lee Wilmot - Head of Football

The Spurs starting XI for Wednesday almost picks itself. 10 players were rested for the Premier League game with Aston Villa on Friday night and you would expect those 10 to come straight into the side for this huge Europa League final clash, although I'm naming one to miss out.

Guglielmo Vicario plays in goal, with the first-choice back line of Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie in front of him.

Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur play in the midfield, mainly because there is no one else, but they both deserve it for their displays against Bodo/Glimt too. Then it's who plays in the No.10 role. Wilson Odobert has played there twice now, but I've not been convinced by him.

There's the option of going with Dominic Solanke in there, with Richarlison up top, which could easily make a fluid 4-4-2 when required. But I think I might be inclined to go with the energy of Pape Matar Sarr, if he's fit. It gives solidity with three midfielders who are happy to sit, but also allows any one of the three to push forward when they want to.

Then up top, I'm bringing Son Heung-min straight back in, with Brennan Johnson on the other flank and Solanke through the middle. It's harsh on Richarlison, but he's there and available and will, I'm sure of it, be used from the bench.

Wilmot's team: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Sarr; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

As he prepares to step out in a Europa League final, Micky van de Ven said he never took it seriously when people told him he would be "trophyless" for the rest of his career if he joined Tottenham.

The young Dutch defender flew out with Spurs to Bilbao on Monday afternoon as Ange Postecoglou's side continue their preparations for the showpiece final against Manchester United at the Estadio San Mamés on Wednesday night. For Van de Ven, the night in Spain represents a chance just 18 months or so into his time at Tottenham to prove his critics wrong.

A fourth victory against Ruben Amorim's side this campaign would bring Spurs' first trophy in 17 years and their first piece of European silverware in 41 years.

"I think it will be a big thing of course because everybody knows that when you join Tottenham, you get the words through of 'Ah, you're not going to win a trophy', that you will be trophyless the rest of your career," said Van de Ven. "All the guys that came up here were like 'we're going to change something about this club'.

"It was the gaffer and it was the whole squad who said 'we’re going to come here and change something'. For us, it's the job now to make this happen in Bilbao."

On who those who were claiming he would be trophyless, he explained: "Yeah, but it’s these people on social media, you know? These banter people that you don't take really serious. No it didn’t play on my mind, not even a little bit."

It's not the first time Van de Ven will have had to prove people wrong in his career, with doubts from some coaches when he was a youngster whether he would even have a career in football. At Volendam, he didn't progress from the Under-19s to the Under-21s because the first team staff at the time felt he was too short and did not stand out as a player.

It was only with the arrival of Wim Jonk that Van de Ven was plucked from the academy and thrust into the first team because the new coach was bewildered by the decision to let him languish at youth level.

When he looks back now, the 24-year-old admits: "Yeah, that’s crazy to be honest. At Volendam there were people who didn't have the trust in me and now I am standing here. I think I proved them wrong.

"To be honest I think there are a lot of players in their careers who get doubts from multiple people. It depends a bit on how late in your career you are getting doubts, of course. I was getting doubts when I was 17, 18 years old. Then you might have to think about something different. Then it's all to yourself and the people around you to keep pushing.

"That's what Cuti [Romero] probably did [as well when people doubted him] and that's what I did, and now we are both standing here, and Cuti won a World Cup. I am now standing now in a European final. It's a beautiful thing."

Van de Ven added: "I still use [the doubts to motivate me], but to be honest it was my dad, my mum and my sister who were the ones who kept pushing me, because even when you're younger, every year you get a new gaffer. It's strange, of course.

"Then the people around you are the ones you are close with. I was in that situation with my dad, my mum and my sister who kept me pushing until the point I am at now. Even now, these days after a game they help me. They're like you could do this better or that better, they are still the people who help me."

Van de Ven's family will be in Bilbao this week, including his father Marcel who is a big television personality back in the Netherlands and has penned a bestselling autobiography. Van de Ven Snr was an undercover agent responsible for fighting major crimes before moving into the world of television as the lead detective on Dutch series "Hunted", where he and other experts hunt down contestants on the run.

Marcel managed to juggle his career as an agent and later his TV work with watching his son playing football even at his busiest times.

"Every game he was there, even when I was younger. You have to ask him how he managed that!" said Van de Ven. "Midweek, most of the time he was gone because he had a job to do and couldn’t tell us everything about it, but at the weekend when we had to play, the most important part, he was always there.

"Literally up to today, he’s everywhere. Every home game, every away game, he wants to be everywhere. He always tries to be there."

Another father figure for the Tottenham players is Postecoglou and while a trophy would deliver a blow to those people who doubted the Dutch defender, Van de Ven believes that his under-fire head coach has also already proved his own critics wrong.

"We have all been standing behind the gaffer since day one, since he joined here. He showed his quality, he brought us to a European final," said the defender. "Of course, he’s getting a lot of doubt from the media and we see these things, but I think he proved all you guys wrong and we’re standing in a European final, so hopefully we can lift the trophy. Not only for us, but also for him."

Van de Ven is looking forward to playing alongside Cristian Romero in Wednesday's final in a partnership that often sees the duo complement each other's skill sets on the pitch.

"You can see that Cuti of course is an unbelievable player. We just feel each other in the game. If he does something, I know how I need to cover him, how I can help him. On the other side it’s the same - when I have the ball, he knows how to cover me. He knows how to help in every situation," said Van de Ven.

"That is just the feeling we have grown into each other. From the beginning I also felt a strong connection with him, but the more games you play together the more you start feeling each other and know each other's qualities, and where you can help each other. It’s an unbelievable connection that I have with him now."

A fellow Dutch defender will be at the other end of the pitch in Matthijs de Ligt. Around 20 months older than Van de Ven, the United defender has been a high profile player since he was a teenager and the Spurs man has a good relationship with his international team-mate even if he's mostly been watching him from afar.

"I am good with him. To be honest I have never really played with him. At the Euros we were together but we both didn’t play. He is an unbelievable defender, of course," he said. "Look at his career, look at how he is doing at every top club he has been to - he was captain at Ajax when he was 18. Goes to Juventus, does a good job there. Goes to Bayern. At every top club he has been playing. He is doing an unbelievable job and is an unbelievable player. Hopefully he is available for the final so we can play against each other.

"When I was younger, he was [an inspiration]. At his age, what he was showing, it was unbelievable. When I was a younger kid and didn't play professionally, of course you were looking at him and seeing he was showing some quality.

"The first thing that pops up in my head is the game against Tottenham, to be honest. When I was in the stadium [in 2019]. He was playing that game. These games I can remember are more from the Champions League when Ajax went to the semi-final. He was playing unbelievable. When you're a young kid you're looking up at him - captain at 18 years old, doing an unbelievable job. Then you think 'I want to be like him'."

What does Van de Ven remember of the dramatic finale to that semi-final in Amsterdam?

"I was an Ajax fan at this time. So I was not really happy. That’s football, no?" he admitted.

Now the centre-back has the chance to create his own piece of history for Tottenham and go one step further than the club did six years ago in that European competition.

"We all know we play for a big club. This club deserves trophies. That’s the truth," he said. "If you look at the quality in the squad, we deserve a trophy. It has been a tough season but we can end this perfectly by winning a prize."

Tottenham and Manchester United are preparing for a defining moment in each of their seasons. Win, and there is the glory of a European trophy to celebrate with the fans, as well as a place in next year's Champions League; lose, and the consequences will be dire.

Ange Postecoglou probably knows that better than anyone else. It's been no secret that he has been under enormous pressure this season, and may not be in his post next season even if he does win against United in Bilbao.

Ruben Amorim, meanwhile, is also beginning to get his fair share of criticism after results in the Premier League have cratered, even with the caveat of taking over halfway through a poor season.

Both managers will be hoping to have their squads peaking at just the right time following some rotation over the last few weeks, but there are definitely some players who will not be able to take part at San Mames this week.

Tottenham will be missing a number of key players, unfortunately. Radu Dragusin, Timo Werner, Fraser Forster and Antonin Kinsky were never going to take part in this clash after not being included in the Europa League squad following the league stage, with Dragusin suffering a season-ending injury.

Kinsky came in as second-choice keeper in the winter transfer window, but Spurs could only make three changes to their squad, with Djed Spence, Mathys Tel and Kevin Danso the players added for the knockout rounds.

Elsewhere, injuries have been a huge issue in defence this season, but Spurs should have their first-choice stars available. But in midfield and attack is where they are currently struggling.

James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have both had their seasons curtailed early due to injury over the last few weeks, with the Swedish star undergoing surgery already. Meanwhile, Lucas Bergvall looks to be unavailable as well, though he is apparently working hard on forcing his way back early.

Dane Scarlett has played his part in the Europa League already for Spurs this season, bagging a goal and assist in the win over Elfsborg in the league phase. However, Postecoglou confirmed last week that the young star had also undergone surgery after picking up a groin injury.

In terms of players who are doubtful but could make an appearance, Pape Matar Sarr could potentially take a place in the starting XI. The midfielder left the pitch early in Friday night's clash against Aston Villa, with Postecoglou stating after the game: "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."

Meanwhile, their opponents Manchester United could also be without some key stars. Lisandro Martinez and Joshua Zirkzee are both definitely out of the game with ACL and hamstring injuries respectively.

Matthijs de Ligt made a return from injury in the clash against Brentford two weeks ago, but left the field before half-time with a knee injury. The centre-back missed last week's open training session, and there are doubts over whether he will return for the final.

Leny Yoro missed a large part of the season with a broken foot, and seemed to be struggling with the same foot in the defeat against West Ham last weekend. He looks more likely than De Ligt to be able to play a part, though whether he comes back is currently unclear.

Amorim says that Diogo Dalot has been working hard to come back from a muscle injury suffered against Wolves in April, though the manager did state that he did not want to risk the wing-back suffering another injury after rushing back to fitness.

Jonny Evans has not played for United since December, and though he did train last week ahead of the Premier League clash against Chelsea he was not involved in the travelling squad for the match.

Gareth Bale has landed himself a job as Tottenham Hotspur pundit ahead of this week's Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao.

The Welsh winger retired in 2023 after a short stint at MLS club LAFC. Bale had a tumultuous relationship at Real Madrid where he won a brilliant five Champions Leagues, three La Ligas, three Club World Cups, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. He also represented his country at a couple of major tournaments and was named Wales' footballer of the year, six years in a row.

However in north London, it is his time spent at Spurs that is remembered most fondly. In two separate stints, Bale made 237 appearances for the club, scoring 71 goals and grabbing 53 assists.

His only trophy with the club was Spurs' last success - the 2008 League Cup. Bale will be hopeful that 17 years of hurt will come to an end on Wednesday night while he is in attendance.

The 35-year-old shall join Rio Ferdinand, Glenn Hoddle and Paul Scholes in Bilbao for TNT Sports' coverage of the Europa League final. Since leaving professional football, Bale has kept a low profile and his punditry career has been selective.

He appeared earlier this season in November 2024 with TNT Sports as he joined their team for Liverpool's Champions League clash with Real Madrid. However, he has been used sparingly since and this shall mark his return in front of the camera.

As for the match itself, the stakes could not be higher for both teams. Tottenham and United have struggled in the Premier League and sit 17th and 16th respectively prior to the final.

The winner of the match shall qualify for the Champions League next season which has the potential to change either side's transfer window plans greatly. Supporters wishing to watch the final will be able to do so for free in the UK on Wednesday night via the Discovery+ app.

We are now just days away from the Europa League final and it really is make or break for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

The two Premier League sides have had extremely disappointing seasons, with Spurs currently 17th and United 16th in the league. Winning the Europa League on Wednesday night could change all that, however, as it would ensure Champions League qualification for next season as well as a piece of silverware.

Ange Postecoglou will be without the likes of James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall due to injury but the Australian knows just how vital winning in Bilbao is for the club. Speaking ahead of the final last week, Postecoglou said: "When you look at the historical backdrop of this club and what it’s been through in the last 20-odd years, I feel like it could be a turning point in terms of the way the club is perceived but also more how it perceives itself which I think is the biggest thing.

"Until you do that, irrespective of what else you accomplish, people will still say you haven’t won anything and in our game, in life in general, that’s the things that matter most when people assess where you’re at."

Postecoglou heavily rotated his side on Friday night for the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa. Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Brendan Johnson, Richarlison and Dominic Solanke all did not start against Unai Emery's side.

Manchester United, meanwhile, played a much stronger team in their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Friday with Andre Onana, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund all starting against the Blues.

It will be fascinating to see what team Amorim fields on Wednesday night, but UEFA may have already dropped a hint as to who may and may not start. In pictures taken at San Mames Stadium on Monday, a snap of a substitution board could be seen, with officials clearly testing out the equipment ahead of the final in two days' time.

Interestingly, the substitution board showed the No.20 in red and No.25 in green, which in a normal game would mean the player with No.25 on their back is replacing the player wearing No.20. Diogo Dalot wears the No.20 for Manchester United, while Manuel Ugarte dons No.25.

While those numbers were most probably put on the substitution board because it is the year 2025, it remains possible that this instead hints at a possible substitution Amorim may make in the Europa League final, with Ugarte replacing Dalot.

The same theory cannot be applied to Tottenham as no one in the Spurs squad currently wears the No.25 shirt. Fraser Forster, though, does wear No.20.

Dalot has been struggling with a calf injury in recent weeks but was spotted doing an individual training session at Carrington last week and it is hoped the Portuguese international returns to fitness ahead of Wednesday.

"Dalot is trying really bad," Amorim said. "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." Ugarte, meanwhile, is likely to start the final alongside Casemiro in the Man Utd midfield but only time will tell if the substitution board team news theory comes true.

It is a huge week for everyone connected with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The north London club's long wait for a piece of silverware could possibly come to an end on Wednesday evening when Ange Postecoglou's side take on Manchester United in the Europa League final.

That is not on only final on the calendar for some Tottenham players, however, as some loan stars will also be competing for a trophy this week. Saturday afternoon will see Alfie Dorrington and Aberdeen try get their hands on the Scottish Cup when they go head-to-head with league champions Celtic at Hampden Park.

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley then have a final to look forward to the following day as Leyton Orient and Charlton Athletic face off at Wembley with a place in the Championship at stake. There will also be an important game taking place in Spain as Alejo Veliz and Espanyol look to secure La Liga safety following their promotion 12 months ago.

So how have Tottenham's loan players fared over the past week as we edge ever closer to the end of the current campaign? football.london takes a look below.

Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

Donley and Keeley have one more Leyton Orient game to go after playing their part in the League One play-off semi-final win against Stockport County. Initially leading at Edgeley Park before Isaac Olaofe's superb goal that gave Keeley no chance, Orient prevailed 4-1 on penalties to set up a final showdown against London rivals Charlton Athletic.

As he has done over the course of this season, Keeley had a big say in the penalty shootout after denying Jack Diamond from 12 yards. Donley also put in a big shift over the course of the game but he was not on the pitch for penalties after making way in the 112th minute.

Speaking ahead of last Friday's Aston Villa game, football.london asked Postecoglou about the Spurs youngsters and whether they have a long-term future in north London. "I think with all these things, they're for the off-season when guys come back," he replied. "Right now our focus is fairly on what's happening in the next two weeks."

Leyton Orient and Charlton go head-to-head at Wembley on Sunday, with the 1pm kick-off meaning Tottenham fans will have a chance to watch the pair potentially win promotion to the Championship before the Spurs team take on Brighton & Hove Albion at 4pm in their final league game of the 2024/25 campaign.

Alfie Devine and Luka Vuskovic (Westerlo)

Alfie Devine was on the scoresheet for Westerlo on Friday as they won 2-0 away at OH Leuven. The 20-year-old sealed the win in the 82nd minute as he added to Thomas Van den Keybus' first-half strike.

It was Devine's sixth goal of an impressive loan spell, which will come to an end this weekend when Westerlo host Standard Liege in their final game of the campaign. On a day when Devine added another goal to his tally, Luka Vuskovic was an unused substitute as the Belgian side won 2-0 away from home.

George Abbott (Notts County)

There was to be play-off heartache for George Abbott and Notts County on Saturday as they missed out on a place in the League Two final. Heading to AFC Wimbledon 1-0 down after a home defeat seven days earlier, the Magpies again lost 1-0 in London following Josh Neufville's early strike.

The 2-0 aggregate defeat means that Abbott's spell at Notts County has come to a conclusion after an incredible year away from Tottenham on loan. The 19-year-old departs the League Two club with plenty of much-needed experience to his name after registering six goals and seven assists in 44 games in all competitions.

Alfie Dorrington (Aberdeen)

Dorrington could only watch on as Aberdeen brought their Scottish Premiership season to a close with a 2-1 defeat away at Dundee United. The Tottenham youngster missed out at Tannadice through suspension after picking up a red card for two yellow cards in the 5-1 defeat at home to Celtic in midweek.

Dorrington will be hoping his red card does not prove too costly when it comes to a starting position as the Dons come up against Celtic once again in Saturday's Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park. As a result of their defeat at Dundee United, Aberdeen finished the season in fifth with the Tangerines leapfrogging them in the final league standings.

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Veliz got 35 minutes in the tank but he couldn't help Espanyol from losing as they were defeated 2-0 at Osasuna on Sunday. The youngster was introduced from the bench with his side trailing 1-0 but it was Osasuna's Raul Garcia who scored the crucial next goal in second-half stoppage time.

The battle to stay in La Liga now goes to the final day with Espanyol currently two points ahead of Leganes with one game remaining. Both play sides who have been relegated already, with Espanyol at home to Las Palmas and Leganes hosting Real Valladolid.

As Espanyol have lost their last five league matches, the chance may be there for Veliz to come in from the start as they look to avoid an immediate return to the Segunda Division.

Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham squad are now on their way to Bilbao. Spurs take on Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday evening and they will be hoping to bring their long wait for a trophy to an end.

Both sides have endured horrendous league campaigns but they have delivered some very good performances and results in UEFA's second club competition. In regards to Tottenham, all eyes are on whether Lucas Bergvall will be part of Postecoglou's squad.

The Swede has been absent since the start of the month due to an ankle injury and Postecoglou revealed last Thursday that his midfielder "won't be available" amid hope that he could make a miracle recovery in time. He 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."

Tottenham will have to do without some other players through injury for the game in Bilbao, including influential duo James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and also long-term absentee Radu Dragusin. The north London club have received some good news ahead of the final, though, with Son Heung-min upping his minutes after recently recovering from injury.

Given the wait for a further update on Bergvall, Spurs fans have been waiting for the club to release their customary video of the players setting off for a European away day. Tottenham finally uploaded the video to their social media channels on Monday afternoon but there was not to be any sign of Bergvall.

However, Maddison was spotted boarding the bus with the rest of the team and so was Dane Scarlett, who Postecoglou recently revealed underwent groin surgery to ensure he is ready for pre-season. Antonin Kinsky, who is not eligible to play for Tottenham in Europe after missing out on the playing squad, was also present and the same goes for Will Lankshear who finished the season on loan with West Brom.

Son, Cristian Romero, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Pape Matar Sarr were just some of the 20 players filmed getting on the bus at the club's training ground ahead of travelling to the airport. It must be pointed out, though, that not every single player was seen in the video - which is usually the case with player videos for European matches - with players such as Yves Bissouma, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso and Archie Gray not spotted.

The aforementioned quartet and Guglielmo Vicario, Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman were later seen in photos uploaded by the club and Dragusin did appear to be in the background of a photo of Pedro Porro. It would appear from the club footage that every player who has played a part in Tottenham's Europa League campaign this season is making the trip to Bilbao with a trophy up for grabs.

Here are the Tottenham players that were spotted in the video and photos published on the club's social media channels:

Tottenham players in the travelling party: Micky van de Ven, Son Heung-min, Callum Olusesi, Damola Ajayi, Mikey Moore, Will Lankshear, Antonin Kinsky, Dane Scarlett, Mathys Tel, Richarlison, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Dominic Solanke, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert, Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pedro Porro, Djed Spence, Guglielmo Vicario, Brandon Austin, Alfie Whiteman, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso, Yves Bissouma, Archie Gray.

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.