Rúben Amorim will be hoping to have at least one injured player return as Manchester United travel to London to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Friday evening.
Manchester United are preparing for their penultimate Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 campaign as Rúben Amorim’s Reds travel to London to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The Friday evening fixture will see United play their final away game of the season, with United then welcoming Aston Villa to Old Trafford for the final tie of the campaign on 25 May to end a dismal domestic season.
However, with United playing Chelsea on Friday, they will be kicking off with the Europa League final in mind, where the club will play Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, 21 May, in Bilbao.
United are already confirmed to have suffered their worst-ever Premier League season, with the club currently sitting on 39 points and 16th in the league table.
With the Chelsea showdown not taking place for another five days, Amorim will be hoping that a few of his injured players return ahead of the Stamford Bridge fixture. Below are the details of each injured player’s issue, what was said, and when they could return to action.
Matthijs de Ligt
What happened: Matthijs de Ligt was forced off injured during the first half of United’s fixture against Brentford earlier this month.
What was said: “It is not a big issue [for De Ligt],” Amorim confirmed to ahead of United’s clash against Athletic Club last week. “That is a good thing. He cannot play tomorrow, and he’ll not play on Sunday [vs West Ham], but then we’ll check day-by-day.”
Potential return date: Chelsea (A) – 16 May.
Leny Yoro
What happened: Leny Yoro was forced off early in the second half of United’s loss against West Ham last weekend with a possible foot injury.
What was said: “We have to assess Leny in a better way tomorrow [Monday],” Amorim revealed after the game. “He felt something, but I think it could be a small thing.”
Potential return date: Chelsea (A) – 16 May.
Diogo Dalot
What happened: Diogo Dalot was not selected for United’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth late last month after suffering from a calf injury, with Amorim refusing to state that the player would be out for the remainder of the season.
What was said: “He has a problem with his muscle in his calf,” Amorim said. “He had a sequence of games, he played all the time. We tried to manage but some of the players have to play a lot of minutes and we have to protect the ones that we think are not so ready to cope with that, but Dalot felt something.”
Potential return date: Europa League final vs Tottenham Hotspur – 21 May.
Ayden Heaven
What happened: Ayden Heaven suffered an injury against Leicester City earlier this year. Despite being included in the squad against Newcastle last month, he suffered a setback and has not been in the squad since.
What was said: Amorim has not mentioned the specifics about Heaven beyond feeling a recurrence of his previous injury, but he was spotted in individual training last week.
Potential return date: Chelsea (A) – 16 May.
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Toby Collyer
What happened: Toby Collyer suffered an injury ahead of United’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Olympique Lyonnais last month.
What was said: “Toby has a small issue in his leg, so we hope to have him in a few weeks.”
Potential return date: Chelsea (A) – 16 May.
Joshua Zirkzee
What happened: Joshua Zirkzee was initially ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury during a loss against Newcastle last month. However, the player has since admitted that he is working hard to try and return for the Europa League final – although this feels unlikely.
What was said: “I’m trying to be back for the final… We’ll see what’s possible, but it’s going to be difficult.”
Potential return date: Leeds United (N) – 19 June (pre-season)
Lisandro Martínez
What happened: Lisandro Martínez was ruled out for at least the rest of the season after suffering an ACL tear against Crystal Palace in February.
What was said: A few days after his injury, a club statement confirmed his injury and read: “Assessment of the injury is ongoing to determine the appropriate course of treatment and the timescale for his rehabilitation.”
Potential return date: November 2025.
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