Man Utd harm nightmare as 4 stars miss coaching every week earlier than Europa League last
Manchester United are set to take on Tottenham in the Europa League final next Wednesday, but Ruben Amorim is facing an injury nightmare ahead of the clash in Bilbao
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is facing a defensive crisis ahead of the club’s biggest match of the season.
Four key defenders were absent from training just a week before the Red Devils face Tottenham in the Europa League final in Bilbao next Wednesday, and Amorim could be left short-handed at the back. The outcome of the match in northern Spain could make or break United’s season, as a win would secure them a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Currently sitting 16th in the Premier League, just above Spurs, following a 2-0 loss to West Ham on Sunday, United’s full attention has long been on the upcoming Europa League final.
Sunday’s defeat extended United’s winless streak in the league to seven matches and also saw another injury blow for Leny Yoro. The French defender required treatment on the pitch during the second half and had to be substituted for Harry Maguire.
“We have to assess Leny in a better way tomorrow,” Amorim stated post-match. “He felt something, but it could be a small thing.”
Yoro was scheduled for a scan to determine the severity of his injury and was notably missing from Wednesday morning’s training session at Carrington. Amorim may also have other injury concerns to contend with, as Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven were also absent from the session.
Dalot is set to miss the upcoming Spurs clash after sustaining a calf injury in last month’s 1-0 defeat by Wolves. Amorim shared, “He has something in his muscle, his calf, he had a sequence of games, he played all the time.
“We try to manage but the players play a lot of minutes and not so ready to cope with that. Dalot felt something. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out. But he’s out for these next games.”
De Ligt’s knee injury from the 4-3 loss to Brentford had initially seemed less serious, with Amorim previously hopeful of a quick recovery. He remarked: “It is not a big issue. That is a good thing. He cannot play tomorrow [vs Athletic Bilbao] and he’ll not play on Sunday [vs West Ham] but then we’ll check day by day.”
Heaven’s absence from recent squads, since being benched against Newcastle on April 13, was attributed to a “small setback”.
Amorim’s first season at the helm of United has been marred by injuries, particularly in defence, with Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Noussair Mazraoui all playing against West Ham amidst a shortage of defenders.
Despite the challenges, Amorim fielded a strong team against the Hammers, pairing Bruno Fernandes with Manuel Ugarte in midfield. He acknowledged the need to balance squad rotation with preparations for the Europa League final, especially ahead of Friday’s Premier League match against Chelsea.
Amorim stated: “We want to win and to be competitive, also in the Premier League. Bruno doesn’t have the problem of any injury [touches wood] but Harry [Maguire] has. So we have to manage that but they have to play and it is better to play than to stay out.”
