Manchester United have been handed a suspension boost as they prepare for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Athletic Club.
Manchester United are set to finish the job at Old Trafford as they prepare for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Athletic Club.
Rúben Amorim’s side hold a commanding 3-0 advantage from the first leg, with Casemiro opening the scoring before Bruno Fernandes added two more to put United firmly in control of the tie.
In the other semi-final, Tottenham Hotspur lead FK Bodø/Glimt 3-1 on aggregate, but face a tricky trip to the Arctic Circle to try and secure their spot in the final in Bilbao.
With both United and Spurs languishing in 15th and 16th in the Premier League, the Europa League represents their only realistic path back into next season’s Champions League.
United handed suspension boost vs Athletic Club
Ahead of the Europa League semi-final first leg, all four clubs still participating in the competition—United, Athletic Club, Tottenham Hotspur, and FK Bodo-/Glimt—had all their players’ yellow cards wiped.
However, in the first leg, United saw Alejandro Garnacho, Mason Mount, and Leny Yoro all handed yellow cards, their respective second yellow cards of the tournament each.
Following this, there has been a worry that if any of those three players were given another in the second leg, they may be suspended for the final, should United see out their lead at Old Trafford.
But, as per the Manchester Evening News, UEFA’s current suspension rules mean that, even if all three players pick up second yellow cards, they will not be suspended for the final as their cards prior to the ones received in Bilbao have been wiped and no longer count.
If the players pick up another yellow card each in the second leg, they will still avoid suspension. The only way a player can be suspended for the final in Bilbao is if they are shown a red card—something Amorim will be keen to avoid.
Three Athletic Club players could miss the clash
One player who is certain to be ruled out of the tie is Dani Vivian after the centre-back was sent off in the first leg and will serve a one-game ban in the Europa League.
However, two more of Ernesto Valverde’s men could miss the tie. Oihan Sancet did not take part in the first leg due to an injury and was touted as a doubt for the return leg.
According to footage obtained by El Chiringuito TV, the Spanish 25-year-old was not spotted in training with the group on Monday morning, with the Old Trafford fixture just days away.
Further, it was confirmed that Nico Williams, who played 79 minutes against United but was absent from the squad that drew 0-0 with Real Sociedad on the weekend, was also not in training and may miss the tie, too.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.