Manchester Evening News

Zirkzee, Dalot, Yoro - Manchester United injury news and return dates before Europa League final

All the very latest on the Man United injury front ahead of Wednesday night's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Manchester United will be targeting their first piece of silverware of the Ruben Amorim era when they face Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday night's Europa League final.

Despite the wretched nature of their domestic form this season, an unbeaten Europa League campaign has seen United reach the final in Bilbao and put them on the cusp of clinching a first European trophy since 2017.

United know that a victory over Tottenham, who have also endured a miserable Premier League campaign, will also see them qualify for next season's Champions League, meaning that could have a game-changing impact on this summer's recruitment plans.

Ahead of the trip to Bilbao, United revealed their 26-man travelling squad, which featured Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.

With that in mind, here is all the very latest on the United injury front ahead of the Europa League final...

Diogo Dalot

Injury: calf

Dalot is in contention to return from injury against Spurs after winning his fitness battle and being included in the travelling squad. The Portugal international has missed the last six games because of a calf issue.

Amorim said last week Dalot was "trying really bad" to get himself fit in time for the final. He is now in contention to feature.

It remains to be seen just how big a role he could play after more than four weeks since his last appearance.

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur N).

Leny Yoro

Injury: foot

Yoro is also in contention to return from injury in Bilbao after being included in the travelling squad. Like Dalot, he participated in Tuesday morning's open training session at Carrington, giving United a massive boost.

The Frenchman was forced off in United's 2-0 defeat to West Ham United just over a fortnight ago after going down not long after half-time clutching his left foot, sparking fears he could miss the final.

Having played no part against Chelsea on Friday night, he is available to face Spurs in the Basque Country.

On him, Dalot and Zirkzee being available, Amorim said at his pre-match press conference: "They recover quite well. They push, of course, and we have to respect the feeling of the player but we push a little bit, as they wanted to be part of the team. That is a very good sign.

"Very good for us. Of course, they are limited in the minutes for the game but they can help us win the game."

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur N).

Matthijs de Ligt

Injury: knee

De Ligt did not train alongside the rest of his teammates on Tuesday morning and will subsequently miss the clash with Spurs. He has missed the last three games after being forced off against Brentford earlier this month with a knee injury.

United wanted to give him as long as possible to try and prove his fitness, but he has failed to recover in time. He trained alone with a fitness coach on Tuesday morning.

He has travelled to Spain to support his teammates.

Possible return date: Unknown.

Jonny Evans

Injury: unknown

On each of the last two occasions United's players have trained in front of the media at Carrington, Evans has been part of the main group. However, he was not included in the squad that faced Chelsea last week.

The Northern Irishman has had his fair share of injury issues in recent months, so much so he was last included in the matchday squad on Boxing Day. His last appearance for United was when he stepped off the bench to score in their 4-3 defeat to Spurs in the Carabao Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in December.

He has been included in the squad that has travelled to Bilbao.

Possible return date: May 21 (Tottenham Hotspur N).

Lisandro Martinez

Injury: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)

Martinez is a long-term absentee after rupturing his ACL in United's 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Old Trafford at the start of February. He soon underwent successful surgery and is well underway with his recovery.

United have not put a specific timeframe on how long he will be out for, but he will not feature again this side of the summer. ACL injuries usually take around six months to fully recover from.

Possible return date: August.

Joshua Zirkzee

Injury: hamstring

In a shock turn of events, Zirkzee is in contention to feature against Spurs after being included in United's travelling squad. The attacker was a surprise participant in the open training session the Reds hosted before flying to Bilbao.

Zirkzee was expected to be out for the remainder of the season after suffering a hamstring injury against Newcastle United last month, with Amorim saying the focus for him was on getting prepared for next season.

However, Amorim will be able to turn to him against Spurs if he is needed, either as a starter or via the bench.

Either Man United or Tottenham will be crowned Europa League winners this evening and secure a place in next season's Champions League.

It's matchday. Manchester United will face Tottenham Hotspur tonight with the Europa League trophy and a place in next season's Champions League up for grabs.

There was good news for United yesterday as Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot both took part in training at Carrington before being named in Ruben Amorim's 26-man travelling squad for the trip to Bilbao.

The biggest surprise was they were joined by Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman has been out of action since the defeat to Newcastle on April 13 and even though he recently claimed it would not be "impossible" for him to recover in time for the final, it seemed very unlikely after Amorim had previously ruled him out for the season.

The United head coach said of the trio: "They recovered quite well. They pushed. Of course we respect the feeling of the player, but we pushed a little bit because they wanted to be part of the team and that is a very, very good sign.

"And it's very good for us. Of course they are limited in the minutes for the game, but they can help us to win the game."

There wasn't such good news on Matthijs de Ligt. The defeneder has travelled to Bilbao with his teammates but will play no part in tonight's game, meaning the Dutchman and Lisandro Martinez are the only two United players to miss out through injury.

While United will be missing just two players tonight, Spurs have bigger problems.

Dejan Kulusevski picked up a knee injury against Crystal Palace recently and will miss the final having undergone surgery, with James Maddison also set to miss out. The latter has travelled with the squad, sparking talk that he could make a return from injury having been ruled out for the season. However, Ange Postecoglou confirmed Spurs' injury situation hasn't changed and so Maddison remains out of action.

Postecoglou also confirmed that Lucas Bergvall is still sidelined. Radu Dragusin is a long-term absentee having ruptured his ACL in January and he will play no part tonight.

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

Manchester United legend Roy Keane will be covering the Europa League final for CBS Sports on Wednesday night

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has already insisted that he will not have split loyalties on Wednesday night when he covers the Europa League final, but he may not be over the moon if the Reds are victorious.

Keane remains a legend at Old Trafford and his name is regularly sung by the Stretford End, even to this day. The Irishman made 479 appearances for United and won a host of accolades including; seven Premier League titles, the Champions League, four FA Cups and four Community Shields.

Despite such a historic run with United and him being a clear favourite with the fanbase, he has regularly admitted that he does not support the team. His loyalties as a child were actually with United's Europa League final opponents Tottenham Hotspur.

As quoted at a charity event by the Daily Mail in 2015, Keane explained: "Just because I played for Manchester United didn't mean I was a fan of the team. When I played for Rockmount, one of my teammate's fathers used to bring me to training and he supported Tottenham.

"That's where it started, I liked their players, the likes of Glenn Hoddle and Clive Allen. But after I'd come back from trial at Nottingham Forest, Spurs offered me a trial.

"I turned it down because Forest had been good to me, I liked the club and felt some loyalty to them. I had a soft spot for Spurs, and still do."

Keane would reiterate his support for Spurs in 2023 on the Stick to Football podcast when he told Ian Wright: "I am a Spurs fan. I played for Man United but Spurs are my team."

The 53-year-old has backtracked slightly on his support for Tottenham recently and instead named another team that he follows. Again though, that club was not United.

"I don’t have that [affinity] with the clubs I’ve played for," he told the Stick to Football podcast in February. "I don’t support Manchester United, absolutely not. I don’t support Nottingham Forest.

"No, you feel you have more of an insight with how it works at the club and the expectations, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a fan – their results don’t make or break my weekend. I wouldn’t go home going: 'Get in there, that was a great win.'

"You're going on about growing up watching teams, the team I have a soft spot for is Juventus. I like Juventus, I've always had a soft spot for Juventus."

Keane will be making his CBS Sport debut on Wednesday night when he joins their team for the Europa League final. He will be a pundit alongside Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United are in Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mame Stadium

Manchester United legend Roy Keane will be joining a different broadcast network on Wednesday night as a pundit for the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

United and Spurs have both suffered a torrid Premier League campaign. Despite both being clear of the relegation battle, they occupy 16th and 17th respectively and were staring down the barrel of no European football next season.

However, the Europa League has provided a safe haven for both teams and now offers them the chance to end this season on a positive note. The winner of the final at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium on Wednesday night will qualify for next season's Champions League and while it may not save their campaigns, it will at least give their supporters something to cheer.

An all-English final has added a layer of excitement to the build-up and the broadcast networks have been jostling for the best punditry line-ups. In the United Kingdom, TNT Sports will be showing the game live with Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes providing the United perspective alongside Tottenham duo Gareth Bale and Glenn Hoddle.

Those watching in the United States on CBS Sports will be in for a first as the American broadcasters confirmed that Keane will be joining their punditry team for the match. The former captain will be alongside Sky Sports colleagues Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards for the game while Anita Jones is on presenter duty.

United legend Peter Schmeichel will also be in Bilbao in his usual role of pitchside correspondent for the fixture. Wednesday night should be Keane's first appearance for CBS Sports.

His punditry work to this point has been focused on the Premier League with Sky Sports as well as England, FA Cup and international tournaments with ITV Sport.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United news as Tottenham go into Wednesday's Europa League final in Bilbao without four players due to injury

Tottenham Hotspur will be without four key players for Wednesday night's Europa League final showdown with Manchester United in Bilbao.

The two Premier League teams will meet in the San Mames Stadium looking to end their individual disappointing seasons on a high. The winner will book their place in the Champions League next season, despite the two teams lurking in the bottom five of the Premier League table.

Ange Postecoglou has suffered with injuries throughout the season, something he has put his side's poor form down to. Last week, Spurs made a host of changes to his side for the 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa but he will be forced into using his squad against United.

There had been a minimal glimmer of hope that Lucas Bergvall would be fit enough to play in Bilbao after he arrived with the rest of his teammates this week.. However, Postecoglou confirmed on Tuesday that the Sweden international is not available due to an ankle injury.

"Team news is pretty much the same as last week," Postecoglou said. "No, Lucas isn't available. Pretty much the same as we were as of last week."

Despite the negative news regarding Bergvall, Tottenham will have Pape Matar Sarr available. The midfielder, who is in line to start on Wednesday, was forced off against Villa last Friday but Postecoglou has confirmed he "is fine".

Dejan Kulusevski, who has been one of Tottenham's best players this season, is out of the final due to a knee injury picked up in the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. James Maddison has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will miss the game despite being spotted travelling to Bilbao with the rest of his teammates.

Defender Radu Dragusin is also out after rupturing his ACL in the 3-0 win over Elfsborg in January. It means Spurs will be without four players for the Europa League final.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

James Maddison shares four-word update as Man United Europa League final decision confirmed

Manchester United are preparing to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final at Bilbao's San Mames Stadium on Wednesday night

Tottenham Hotspur's key midfielder James Maddison has shared an image of himself with his teammates in Bilbao ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

Maddison has enjoyed a good recent history against United having scored a winner against the club in February. The goal came just days after Roy Keane had questioned the midfielder's ability.

And ahead of the final against United, Maddison was pictured in the Basque Country with his teammates. Posting an image of him on their social media channels, Spurs' official account wrote: "Taking it all in."

The message was subsequently shared by the player himself on his own Instagram stories. Despite flying to Bilbao with the Tottenham squad, Maddison will not be playing any part in the match on Wednesday night.

The former Leicester City man is currently injured and is undergoing treatment which shall keep him out for the remainder of the campaign. Earlier this month, Maddison confirmed he would not be featuring in the Europa League final, telling his 1.9m Instagram followers: "Gutted. Just absolutely gutted.

"We’ve had our sights on that European final in Bilbao from day one of this campaign. So to accept not being able to take part out on that pitch with the boys is really tough to take.

"Injuries are just part of this game that can be so cruel at times. But I truly believe that it can be a special night for my football club.

"Bring on the 21st. All together."

While he did not feature, Maddison was pitchside with Ange Postecoglou and the Spurs squad as they trained on the pitch at the San Mames Stadium on Tuesday. The winner of the Europa League final on Wednesday night will progress to the Champions League next season.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United have travelled to Bilbao ahead of Wednesday night's Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur at the San Mames Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has insisted that his team are confident they can beat Manchester United for the fourth time this season and win the Europa League.

The two Premier League clubs who have been statistically the worst in the division this season, bar those who have been relegated, meet in Bilbao on Wednesday night with a place in next season's Champions League on the line. Considering United's track record of playing in Europe, the pressure is on them to win and book their place in the top tier competition.

For Spurs, the pressure is just as great as not only will they be without Europe if they lose, they shall also extend their wait for a major trophy which dates back to 2008. What's more, their manager Ange Postecoglou has insisted he always wins a trophy by his second season at a club and the Europa League marks his last opportunity to do just that.

Speaking in an interview with GQ, Van de Ven insisted that his team are feeling good about the final. "If you join Spurs, of course people make jokes that you’re never going to win a trophy," he explained.

"This group of players and staff want to make sure we change this for the fans and the club. We want to win for the gaffer, of course.

"Everyone knows he’s said he always wins things in his second year [at a club]. It’s a nice quote for him and it would make it even more beautiful if we can make it happen.

"He has been so positive the whole season and made sure that no one ever lets their head down even if we played a terrible game. We never had a feeling that he was giving up on us; he’s always kept pushing us.

"That’s why at the end of a tough season we still believe we will win." Belief for Van de Ven and his teammates is likely to also come from the recent record between these two clubs.

United have met Tottenham in three matches - two in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup - and the Reds are yet to taste victory. Their most recent victory came in the Premier League when James Maddison's strike was the difference between the two teams.

Tottenham will be without their key midfielder on Wednesday night though as he continues his recovery from injury.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Manchester United fans always follow their club home and away in huge numbers, no matter where or how far they need to travel.

And that is no different ahead of Wednesday's Europa League final in Bilbao, as thousands of United supporters have started to arrive in the Basque Country.

United take on Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's final as Ruben Amorim looks to secure his first major trophy as Manchester United head coach.

The winners of the tie will also secure qualification to next season's Champions League, so the stakes could not be higher as both sides bid to win a major European trophy.

Bilbao's San Mames Stadium holds a capacity of 53,289 with United and Tottenham both being allocated 14,770 tickets.

But the number of United fans making the trip to Bilbao is expected to far exceed that allocation, with many Reds just wanting to be in the city to soak up the atmosphere of the final, despite not having a ticket.

Many have had to make long journeys via connecting flights to reach their destination, too, and despite a dire Premier League season, United's support remains up there with the very best and most dedicated in world football.

With that in mind, we have collated some of the best pictures of United fans in Bilbao on Tuesday, as the build-up continues towards the big game tomorrow.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has shared mixed news on the injury front.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has confirmed midfielder Pape Matar Sarr will be available for Wednesday night's Europa League final against Manchester United - but Lucas Bergvall will miss out.

The midfielder was forced off in the second half of Spurs' 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Friday night, sparking fears he could be in danger of missing the showpiece event at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.

Sarr, 22, went straight down the tunnel at Villa Park, flanked by a member of Spurs' medical team, but Postecoglou later confirmed that he did not anticipate it was "anything too serious".

"Pape felt something in his back, so we took him off as a bit of a precaution," Postecoglou said after the game. "I don’t think it's anything too significant, speaking to him afterwards but he just felt something in his back."

The Spurs boss has now insisted that the Senegalese international is available to be involved against United, telling the media at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon: "Pape is fine."

However, the Spurs chief will have to make do without midfielder Bergvall. Despite being ruled out for the rest of the season a few weeks ago due to an ankle injury, rumours had been circling to suggest the midfielder could make a surprise return against the Reds.

However, the Londoners' injury situation has not changed, meaning the Swede will play no part against Ruben Amorim's side.

"Team news is the same as last week," said Postecoglou. "Lucas will not be available."

Spurs flew out to the Basque Country on Monday and James Maddison was within their travelling squad. He, like Bergvall, was ruled out for the remainder of the season a few weeks ago.

However, confirmation from Postecoglou that the injury situation remains unchanged means the attacking-midfielder is poised to miss the final.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

'I'm not a clown' - Ange Postecoglou lets rip at Tottenham reporter before Europa League final

Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou was in quotable form during what could have been one of his last pre-match press conferences with the club.

Tottenham Hotspur coach Ange Postecoglou berated a reporter on the eve of their Europa League final with Manchester United for suggesting he could be remembered as a "clown".

The final in Bilbao is expected to be Postecoglou's penultimate match in charge of Spurs, whose Premier League campaign concludes at home against Brighton on Sunday. The club are bidding to win their first trophy since 2008 against United.

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League in their worst top flight season since they were relegated in 1977 but Postecoglou, who took over at the club in 2023, won a trophy in his second season in charge of former clubs South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F. Marinos and Celtic.

A piece in the Evening Standard on Tuesday stated, "As Spurs prepare for Bilbao, Postecoglou is therefore in a strange position, teetering between hero and clown."

When the reporter responsible for the piece asked Postecoglou a question as to whether he was conscious of the fine line between success and failure, Postecoglou rounded on him.

"That depends on your outlook, but I'll tell you one thing, irrespective of tomorrow, I'm not a clown and never will be," Postecoglou fumed.

"You really disappointed me that you used such terminology to describe a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to be in a position where he is leading out a club in a major European competition.

"For you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I'm a clown, I'm not really sure how to answer that question."

Postecoglou previously suggested he was regarded as "a clown" when Celtic appointed him as their head coach in 2021.

The Australian also added his future is "assured", whatever the outcome of the final against United. "My future is assured, I wouldn't be the first person who changes jobs, mate, we all change jobs. I'm sure you've had more than one job. My future's assured.

"I've got a beautiful family, I've got a great life, I'll keep on winning trophies until I finish so don't worry about my future, mate. My future is not entwined with anything.

"My future is assured, provided, god willing, my health remains and my beautiful family's beside me and my friends. There's nothing wrong with my future, mate. Don't stress, mate. Sleep easier at night. I will be okay.

"I don't think my job is done here. I really feel like we're building something and winning a trophy hopefully accelerates that so I still think there's a lot of work to be done.

"The challenges we've had this year are well chronicled but there's some reasoning in that in the context of that but also there's been some growth I'd like to see through. Whether that happens or not is not that important right now.

"I think this job is far from finished, there's some growth there that we can take this club to where it needs to be."