Daily Express

Marcus Rashford has made his feelings known ahead of Manchester United's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur this week. The attacker endured an unceremonious exit from the Red Devils earlier this year, joining Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.

Rashford managed 17 appearances during his time with the West Midlands outfit, scoring four goals and registering six assists. But his campaign was cut short after the 27-year-old picked up a hamstring injury last month, forcing him out for the remainder of the season and potentially meaning he's played his final match in Aston Villa's claret and blue.

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As such, speculation surrounding his future has once again sparked up, with Rashford likely set for an awkward return to United ahead of talks over the summer. However, that hasn't stopped him from wishing his former team-mates good luck ahead of Wednesday's Europa League final against Spurs.

The three-time European champions travel to Bilbao for the end-of-season showpiece, with the competition representing the final route into the Champions League for Ruben Amorim's men. Replying to an official Manchester United post on Instagram, the English international wrote: "Good luck guys," followed by a single sparkling stars emoji.

Read more... Tottenham vs Man Utd final called 'scandalous' as Europa League complaint issued [LATEST]

United might need more than luck on their side, given they've won just two of their previous seven matches across all competitions. The good news for Amorim and co. is that those two matches came in the Europa League - a competition United are unbeaten in this season.

However, Amorim has urged his players to go out and win the trophy, as "nobody remembers a finalist". Speaking ahead of the clash in Northern Spain, he said: :Something that I learned as a player is you need to win. Nobody is going to say 'I was a finalist', especially in this kind of club. So we need to win the final.

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"It's really important, massive for us, and we want to give that to our fans. It's a mixed feeling. I'm really excited but, at the same time, I know my responsibility as a Manchester United coach. I have always that feeling of frustration for the season, so I want really bad to help the team to win this final. We've got to give something to the club, to the fans, to the staff, to everybody.

"It's hard. It's not enough, winning the Europa League. It's not enough for all the support the fans gave us this season. They will go swimming (to Bilbao) if needed to, even without a ticket! I already know. A big thank you for everything they did during the season. We will do our best to give something to them."

Kick-off from the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao is scheduled for 8pm on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal need a favour from Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final as Manchester United reportedly circle one of Mikel Arteta's top summer transfer targets. Spurs meet United at the San Mames Stadium on Wednesday night, with both clubs battling to salvage their dreadful seasons.

In the case of the lesser of two evils for Arsenal supporters, the vast majority will hope Ruben Amorim's side come out on top in Bilbao. However, Arteta might need the Gunners' North London rivals to end their 17-year trophy drought, last lifting the 2008 League Cup. United are believed to have their sights set on Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres, also targeted by Arsenal.

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United would likely only be able to attract a player of Gyokeres' calibre if they have Champions League football on offer.

With the M16 giants slumped in 16th after 37 Premier League games, Europa League glory represents the last remaining path.

Champions League qualification would also add at least £100m to Amorim's transfer kitty, funding further attacking reinforcements beyond their priority target.

United are reportedly set to sign Wolves' Matheus Cunha once the summer transfer window opens on June 1, having entered an advanced stage in discussions over personal terms.

It's claimed the Old Trafford outfit's budget covers the arrival of Cunha and a striker, with Ipswich Town's Liam Delap in Amorim's sights.

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Whether a surprise admission into next season's Champions League would alter the Portuguese tactician's current transfer targets remains to be seen.

If Spurs lift the Europa League and secure their Champions League spot, Gyokeres would almost certainly go beyond United's reach, leaving Arsenal in pole position.

After helping fire Sporting to historic back-to-back titles earlier this month, Gyokeres remained coy on his future.

"It's football, I'm still here," the Sweden international said. "I don't know what's going to happen. Nobody can predict the future."

Manchester United's players will heavily rely on the backing of at least 15,000 supporters helping back the San Mames Stadium for Wednesday's Europa League final. But they will also have the support of their friends, families and WAGs as they battle to salvage their season against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.

Who are those WAGs, you ask? Read on to learn more about several of their partners likely heading for Spain.

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Dr Melanie Kamayou - Andre Onana's wife

As her title suggests, Melanie Kamayou is a doctor after earning a doctorate degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health in May 2022.

Kamayou - also an influencer, entrepreneur and model - was in the headlines after Andre Onana's nine-month ban for violating anti-doping regulations.

The United goalkeeper had accidentally ingested the banned substance Furosemide, which had been prescribed to his wife.

Claudia Pinto - Diogo Dalot's fiancée

Claudio Pinto is often spotted at Old Trafford supporting Diogo Dalot and was pictured alongside him when he signed his new contract in May 2023.

The pair had announced their engagement two months earlier before Pinto gave birth to their daughter, Clara, later that year.

Fern Hawkins - Harry Maguire's wife

Harry Maguire and Fern Hawkins got married in the south of France in 2022, having been engaged since 2018.

Hawkins follows Maguire all over the world and is a qualified physiotherapist. Earlier this year, she was reportedly planning a career change.

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Maja Nilsson - Victor Lindelof's wife

Maja Nilsson, a content creator and designer, boasts more than 250,000 followers on Instagram.

She also founded the fashion line Lis Bonne Atelier and is a UNICEF ambassador, a SENSAI makeup ambassador and a blogger for ELLE Sweden.

The Swede tied the knot with compatriot Victor Lindelof in 2018.

Anouska Santos - Luke Shaw's girlfriend

Luke Shaw and Anouska Santos have been together since 2017 and have three children together.

Santos is known to be a close friend of Love Island winner Molly-Mae Hague, with Shaw previously spotted in a video featuring Tommy Fury's partner.

Anna Mariana Casemiro - Casemiro's wife

Anna Mariana Casemiro loves supporting her husband at his football matches. She was recently filmed joining in with United fans' chants for the Brazilian midfielder at Old Trafford.

The pair got married during his Real Madrid days in 2014, and her support for him has strengthened since.

Anna Mariana has never been shy to hit back at Casemiro's critics during his time in England.

Ana Pinho - Bruno Fernandes' wife

Bruno Fernandes' romance with wife Ana Pinho started when he was a teenager. Now 30, he has been happily married since 2015.

The United captain has previously revealed that Pinho is a former futsal referee and had to pay for their early dates because she was financially better off.

Sabrina Kvist Jensen - Christian Eriksen's partner

Christian Eriksen and his Danish partner Sabrina Kvist Jensen got it on in 2012, but there is little public information about their relationship.

Eriksen and Kvist Jensen have been through a lot, including when the United midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest while representing Denmark against Finland in June 2021.

She would love to see the former Spurs midfielder celebrate European glory against his old club.

Eva Garcia - Alejandro Garnacho's girlfriend

Eva Garcia and Alejandro Garnacho went public with their relationship in 2021 and welcomed their first child, Enzo, into the world in October 2023.

The pair are both from Madrid, despite Garnacho's decision to represent Argentina alongside one of his idols, Lionel Messi.

Amad is determined to strike it lucky in the Europa League final with Manchester United, setting his sights on a win after two previous disappointments.

The winger has twice tasted defeat in the Europa League finals, once while donning the United shirt and then during his loan spell at Rangers, both times ending in penalty heartache.

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He endured the agony of the 2021 final loss to Villarreal and the subsequent season's defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt from the sidelines as an unused substitute.

Now, after bouncing back from an injury that could have ended his season, Amad is eager to break into Ruben Amorim's first eleven for the Tottenham clash, with more than just silverware at stake – a Champions League spot and a £100million prize are also on the line.

Amad shared his aspirations: "I've already lost two Europa League finals, so I hope to win this one. I keep praying for that one.

"It will be really good for me, but also for the team, because at the end of the day, we want some things at the end of the season.

"I was on the bench before. I was young. I had no experience, but it was a good experience for me to be in my first Europa League final with the team.

"At the time, we had great players like Paul Pogba and Edison Cavani. It was a dream for me, honestly.

"But now it's my moment. It's the moment for the club, it's the moment for the players, for everyone, for the fans, because they deserve this moment.

"We will give everything, we will give our best to try and win this competition."

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The impending face-off between United and Spurs stands as a landmark clash in the annals of both clubs, with an extraordinary amount riding on what is tantamount to a do-or-die encounter.

Amad has been a shining light in an otherwise calamitous season for United, right until he sustained a grave ankle injury back in February, which was anticipated to sideline him for the remainder of the season.

However, after a gruelling three-month recovery period, Amad has made a timely return for a match that is not just crucial for United's ambitions but also pivotal for manager Amorim's tenure at the helm.

Ready to demonstrate his value once more, the 22-year-old, who bagged a memorable brace in United's surprise 2-1 triumph over Manchester City away earlier in the campaign, is intent on claiming a starting spot for the decisive battle in Bilbao.

"It's a really good feeling to be back on the team, to try to help the team win something at the end of the season," remarked Amad about his comeback from an injury he incurred during training.

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Detailing the incident, he said: "I was pressing Andre Onana, then I think my left foot stayed on the grass and turned. At that moment, I knew it wasn't really good, because I knew I'd miss some games.

"I didn't know if my season was really over. So after my operation, I kept believing, I kept praying to be back before the end of the season.

"I'm always positive, I'm always smiling. That's me, that's Amad, so I always try to grow up with positive things.

"I believe in my potential. I believe I can be one of the best in the world. I just have to give my best every game. That's it. But I think I believe in my potential.

"I think the manager believes in me, too. He believes in my potential. I'm trying to repay his confidence every time I'm on the pitch."

Gary Lineker has admitted he has concerns about the direction of travel at the BBC under director of sport Alex Jay-Kelski.

Days before hosting the FA Cup final, the presenter aimed fire at Jay-Kelski over his planned changes to Match of the Day.

"I think [a regime change] has [happened], and that's what I was alluding to [in an earlier interview]," Lineker told the Telegraph last week.

"He has his reasons. He wants to change Match of the Day a bit. Ultimately, I don't think they will, because I don't see how you move a highlights show away from being about highlights.

"I think he wants more journalists - he has come from that background. He has got no television experience."

Gary Lineker's social media actions and the fact he wasn't dismissed as a result reportedly sparked a revolt among the BBC's Jewish staff.

One staff member, who had previously claimed anti-semitism had become normalised within the organisation, told The Telegraph: “It is quite simply disgusting that the BBC has not kicked Lineker out.

"His repeated offensiveness to Jewish people has clearly brought the BBC into disrepute. The interpretation of Zionism he has shared is anti-Semitic, and the fact that the BBC thinks it’s acceptable is deeply upsetting to its Jewish staff, myself included.”

Gary Lineker has been backed to switch sides and feature on ITV once his BBC exit is confirmed.

Coral has slashed the odds for the Match of the Day presenter to appear on their popular reality show, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

The bookmakers have also backed Lineker to appear on Strictly Come Dancing and helm ITV's own 2026 World Cup coverage.

In the heat of the backlash, Gary Lineker publicly apologised for sharing the controversial post on Instagram.

“On Instagram, I reposted material which I have since learned contained offensive references,” the former England player’s statement read.

“I very much regret these references. I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in.

“Whilst I strongly believe in the importance of speaking out on humanitarian issues, including the tragedy unfolding in Gaza, I also know that how we do so matters.

"I take full responsibility for this mistake. That image does not reflect my views. It was an error on my part for which I apologise unreservedly.”

Why is Gary Lineker leaving the BBC early, you may ask?

Well, it would appear like the 64-year-old's outspoken social media activity has ruffled one too many feathers.

Lineker has received intense backlash for sharing a pro-Palestine video featuring a rat on his Instagram story, which he later deleted.

He then apologised and insisted he wasn't aware of how rats have been used in anti-semitic propaganda throughout history, including by the Nazi Party.

Ruben Amorim faces one of the biggest matches of his young managerial career to date on Wednesday. Manchester United face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final at Athletic Club's San Mames Stadium - a venue in which his side have already triumphed this season.

There is much more at stake than a third trophy in as many years for United. Champions League qualification could boost Amorim's summer transfer budget from peanuts to paradise. The Portuguese tactician's torrid fortunes in the first six months of his reign at Old Trafford have highlighted how urgent a rebuild is.

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United are also playing for whatever slither of pride they have left after a second successive record-low Premier League finish.

Erik ten Hag and Amorim's team of the 2024/25 season is already considered one of the worst in the club's history.

They sit 16th with one league game remaining, having failed to win back-to-back games since last term.

But the mere prospect of losing a European final to a club of Tottenham Hotspur's continental stature would further damage this team's reputation.

And being the side that allows Spurs to end their 17-year trophy drought would be the nadir of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Amorim is as under pressure as Ange Postecoglou - yet. While his record as United boss is abhorrent, there is an acceptance that he needs a summer to revamp his ranks.

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But questions will continue to emerge if he names two players in his starting lineup that could easily cost the Red Devils in Bilbao.

"It helped me a lot to choose the starting XI for the final," Amorim said after Friday's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

During United's 18th league loss of the campaign, Victor Lindelof was partly culpable in a lack of marking for Marc Cucurella's winner.

Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund produced one of his worst performances since his ill-fated £72million arrival from Atalanta in 2023.

Both players have proven time and time again that they can't make a difference against Premier League opposition.

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Lindelof will be released in the summer once his contract expires for a reason. A half-fit Leny Yoro or Matthijs de Ligt would be less of a liability. Ayden Heaven returned to the pitch against Chelsea.

Hojlund has scored four goals in 31 league games this season. The Dane's goal record in Europe since joining United is respectable, but he can't make an impact against English teams.

Amorim needs to find a plan B, whether that's reintroducing Alejandro Garnacho as a makeshift striker or using Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount or Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine.

If the Chelsea match helped him pick his Europa League final team and Lindelof and Hojlund are involved, he will deserve all the scrutiny he receives if Spurs are victorious.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will battle to salvage something sweet from their disastrous seasons in Wednesday's Europa League final in Bilbao. Athletic Club's San Mames Stadium will host the high-stakes affair between the Premier League strugglers, with silverware and a Champions League spot up for grabs.

Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou are in similar positions after overseeing nightmare campaigns that have applied pressure on both. United and Spurs are 16th and 17th, respectively, only spared a relegation scrap by the dramatic inferiority of the three teams facing the drop.

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The Europa League offers an opportunity for one club to enter a crucial summer on a high, while the other will face the reality of their embarrassing underperformance.

You'd be fortunate to find a definitive answer if you asked a room of football fans who they expected to come out on top in Bilbao.

And it turns out the outcome would be the same if you enquired 10,000 different times. That's what Opta have done, and the results emphasise how tightly matched the two teams are.

After 10,000 current simulations, United lifted the trophy 50.7 per cent of the time, while Spurs ruled supreme in 49.3 per cent.

Following Friday's 1-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Amorim shared his confidence about the crunch clash.

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"Of course, we have to believe. I am really confident," the Portuguese tactician explained.

"I feel that my players are ready for this game. They know what it means, not just for us but for our fans and for the club.

"After this season, we are ready to fight for the one thing that can help us remember this season in a different way.

"So I am really confident. We are living in a season that is really strange because we are doing so well in Europe, but in the Premier League, we struggle.

"But we will be prepared for the final. It's a different context and a different game. The most important thing is the change in mentality in my team. They compete, and that is the most important thing for me."

Meanwhile, Postecoglou has made no secret of the importance of lifting a trophy to end Spurs' 17-year drought since the 2008 League Cup.

The Australian boss' future beyond the summer is under intense uncertainty, regardless of whether he achieves glory in Bilbao.

But by beating United for a fourth time this season, he will etch his name in Spurs' history books and set the club up for improvement next term.

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has insisted that the club can still hold their heads high this season if they clinch Europa League glory - and says he's a big fan of Ruben Amorim. United have decided that they will not sack the Portuguese head coach regardless of what happens against Tottenham in Bilbao despite a dismal run in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have endured their worst ever Premier League campaign, languishing in 16th place under Ruben Amorim after suffering 18 losses. But United's boardroom do not blame Amorim and all is not lost as United could yet salvage some pride by defeating Spurs in the upcoming Europa League final. The victors will not only lift the trophy but also secure a spot in next season's Champions League, potentially raking in up to £100 million in revenue.

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Despite their woeful domestic performance, Mazraoui believes that a win against Spurs would overshadow their Premier League shortcomings. "Winning a trophy is never easy," the defender stated. "I think in any case you don't downgrade that, because you have to fight hard to get into the position to win a trophy.

"You have to beat opponents who are strong and who are also really hungry to be in that final. When you look back at your career, you will look back at this season and you're going to be proud of winning the Europa League, if we win on Wednesday, more than you're going to look at the failure in the Premier League. You can be sure, for sure, you can be proud."

Mazraoui was brought to Old Trafford by former United manager Erik ten Hag, but has welcomed the direct approach of current boss Amorim. "I like him a lot in that respect," Mazraoui said. "He's really honest, really straightforward, he's not hiding from anything."

"That's how I am as well. I'm not hiding behind anything and that's the manager as well. He takes responsibility, he knows he's the head of the club eventually, because he's the manager. That's something I like a lot about him."

In stark contrast to their Premier League form, United remain unbeaten in the Europa League, a fact that defender Mazraoui is keen to highlight. The Moroccan international said: "That's something really tough to say, because we always manage in the Europa League to eventually win.

"I think the biggest example was Lyon, where we were almost dead in the last 10 minutes of the game. Extra-time, everybody's tired and everything, and you still manage to win. We maybe have that kind of fighting spirit in the Europa League that we maybe lack in the Premier League."

Despite Tottenham having bested United in all three of their encounters this season, Mazraoui dismissed the idea that this would influence Wednesday's crucial showdown. "I don't think so, because this is a whole different competition," he explained.

"It's the Europa League, it's a final, so the context around it is so different that you can't really compare any previous games with this final."

It’s the game that neither side can afford to lose. For Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, the season hinges on next Wednesday night’s Europa League final in Bilbao, which for one club will help salvage an otherwise torrid season.

It remains to be seen whether a European trophy and Champions League qualification will be enough to save the positions of Ange Postecoglou or Ruben Amorim. However, either manager must improve on domestic form. They also have a host of injury worries to deal with just three days out from the final.

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Spurs are currently sweating over the fitness of Lucas Bergvall, who faces a race against time to be fit following an ankle injury. United, meanwhile, will give Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Ayden Heaven as long as they need to prove their fitness

Regardless, neither Premier League side will be at full strength, and some pivotal figures have already been ruled out. Express Sport brings you the lowdown on who will be missing from Bilbao…

Tottenham: James Maddison

The influential midfielder limped off during the semi-final first leg of his side’s 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt. Postecoglou initially played down fears over the extent of the knock to the 28-year-old, only to later reveal he will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. He’ll be in the stands in Spain.

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Tottenham: Dejan Kulusevski

If Maddison’s omission is a hammer blow to Postecoglou, then Dejan Kulusevski’s absence could be a seismic one. The Swedish forward has arguably been his side’s most creative attacking force this season, and yet was risked in the league game with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The 25-year-old duly hobbled off after only 19 minutes. Again, Postecoglou initially played down injury fears, but now it’s emerged the star has undergone knee surgery and will be sitting next to Maddison in Bilbao.

Tottenham: Radu Dragusin

The Romanian centre-back has long been ruled out until the summer, after undergoing surgery for an ACL injury in February. His Australian boss has long admitted that the start of pre-season in July is his most realistic target date to return.

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Man Utd: Lisandro Martinez

Ever since the Argentine centre-back was stretchered off in tears against Crystal Palace in February, it looked as if his season was over. That duly proved the case when scans revealed an ACL injury, and like his opposite number, Draguisin, the focus has long been on being fit for next season.

Man Utd: Joshua Zirkzee

The Dutchman was showing signs of improvement under Amorim when his season took a cruel twist, quite literally. He was moving sharply on the ball against Newcastle last month before pulling up as he turned with the ball, and the Dutch forward’s worst fears were realised days later when he was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a thigh problem.

Despite a disappointing Premier League campaign, Manchester United bosses have no plans to sack manager Ruben Amorim, even if they lose the upcoming Europa League final. But the boardroom are concerned that the Portuguese head coach could make the decision himself to walk away.

The club's hierarchy believe it would be ludicrous to hold Amorim accountable for a disastrous season that has seen the Red Devils finish in their lowest Premier League position in half a century. They are prepared to give the 40-year-old another season to implement his tactics, although there is some discontent within the Old Trafford boardroom regarding Amorim's candid admission that the job may be too big for him.

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This comes at a time when United have an opportunity to salvage their season by defeating Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday night to secure a spot in the Champions League next season.

The club's recruitment team has prepared two lists of potential transfer targets - one to be pursued if Amorim's team secure Champions League football and a £100million windfall by beating a Spurs side that has performed even worse than they have this season.

The other list will be less ambitious if there is no European football next season. Both lists aim to shape a squad capable of executing the tactical plan that has resulted in 13 losses in 26 Premier League games since Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag in November.

However, Amorim's harsh self-critique, suggesting he might be the worst manager in the club's history, has raised concerns that he may resign at the end of the season.

He has since backtracked on the notion that he might pay the price for failing to secure results with a squad that isn't up to scratch.

United are set to seek assurances that the ex-Sporting coach isn't considering an exit before they make any summer transfer market moves.

The club's outspoken owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is reportedly impressed with his manager's honesty.

Ratcliffe has been extremely critical of the infrastructure he found when he invested £1.27billion for a stake in the club 14 months ago, much to the chagrin of the Glazer family who remain as co-owners.