Athletic Bilbao have seen one of their midfielders ruled out as they welcome Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United to Spain in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Manchester United are stepping up preparations for their Europa League semi-final first leg against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday afternoon — a match that marks the biggest test yet of Rúben Amorim’s tenure.
United’s path to the semi-finals saw them pull off a remarkable comeback against Olympique Lyonnais, with Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, and Harry Maguire scoring three goals in seven frantic minutes to seal a 7-6 aggregate triumph at Old Trafford.
Since then, though, United’s Premier League form has faltered. They suffered a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers and needed a stoppage-time goal from Rasmus Højlund to snatch a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
With domestic concerns set aside, all focus now turns to Europe, with United having a few days to fine-tune preparations before flying out to Spain on Wednesday afternoon.
United’s latest injury news
The most significant updates United have received regarding their injured players are that both Matthijs de Ligt and Amad are set to return to training this week.
However, amid Amorim’s keenness to slowly integrate returning players, it is expected that they will not be part of the squad that faces Bilbao and will instead make their respective returns to action against Brentford on the weekend.
Meanwhile, Luke Shaw was able to complete his first 90 minutes of football since the 2021 European Championship final against Spain in June 2024, with the player expected to remain part of the squad despite Amorim’s cautious nature surrounding the defender.
However, United have a host of players who remain out of action. Ayden Heaven and Toby Collyer remain sidelined, while Joshua Zirkzee and Lisandro Martínez are out for the remainder of the campaign.
Diogo Dalot is not expected to be fit for a few weeks at the earliest after suffering a calf issue, and could be out for the rest of the campaign if he does not heal in time.
Amorim is expected to give a full fitness update on his squad on Wednesday afternoon after his side flies to Bilbao.
Bilbao hit with midfielder injury
As for Amorim’s opposition, Bilbao have been hit with a blow after midfielder Oihan Sancet was ruled out of the fixture with a hamstring injury that is set to sideline him for two to three weeks.
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This means the player will certainly not be available when United travel to face Bilbao at the Estadio de San Mamés, and he is also a doubt for the return leg at Old Trafford.
Sancet has been a deadly threat for Bilbao this season, having scored 15 of their 50 league goals this campaign in 25 appearances.
However, Bilbao will be taking confidence in their defensive acumen when United line up to face them, with the La Liga side boasting the best defensive record in their division, having conceded just 26 goals in 33 fixtures.
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