Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim says Europa League final spots still up for grabs

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Ruben Amorim says there is still time for players to secure their place in his Europa League final line-up as Manchester United look to head to Bilbao buoyed by a morale-boosting win at Chelsea.

Next Wednesday’s San Mames showpiece against fellow Premier League strugglers Tottenham is crucial for the misfiring Red Devils as it offers silverware and Champions League football at the end of a wretched campaign.

This is comfortably United’s worst season of the Premier League era, with the 16th-placed side heading to Chelsea on Friday looking for some much-needed positivity having lost 2-0 at home to West Ham last time out.

“The best way is to face the game like we should face the game – it is to win the game,” head coach Amorim said of the Stamford Bridge clash.

“We need to perform, we need to win points in the Premier League and that is the feeling. We talked about that after West Ham.

“We have time to recover (after Chelsea). The best thing to prepare for the final is to play the game and then the players have to understand that if you play or don’t play against Chelsea, it means nothing to the final. That is important.

“I am just preparing the game of Chelsea. That is my focus and we want to win and to perform.”

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Amorim will not take any unnecessary risks with the players on Friday but suggested he could choose a stronger side than he has around other key Europa League fixtures.

Asked how close Friday’s team will be to the side that faces Spurs, he said: “I don’t know. I know already the starting 11 that I am thinking for Chelsea. Then I will see.

“Even the way we play there against Chelsea, I will see it and it is going to be important for the next one.”

Then asked if players still have the chance to make the final even if they are not in his mind for Chelsea, he said: “Yes, that is clear.”

United centre-backs Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven will not feature on Friday as they push to recover for the final, nor will versatile full-back Diogo Dalot as he battles a calf complaint.

“If there is a player that can get an injury, is not recovered for this game and could put in risk the final he will not play,” Amorim said.

“But if it is not that situation, we will have a lot of time to recover and we cannot spend eight or nine days without a game. That is a bad thing for the final, so, no, I think they will be prepared for the game.”

The potential of Yoro to be involved in the Europa League final is a relief to Amorim, who feared the 19-year-old had suffered a repeat of the foot injury sustained in pre-season.

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“I was thinking even about next year, the squad, if we need another guy, if it is a long injury,” he said when the United defender went down. “That is my concern. It is not just about the final.

“Of course I want every player fit but Leny Yoro in his foot he had that problem.

“I was so concerned about the next season, the next squad, the way we build up the squad. That was my biggest concern. The rest… we will be ready for the final no matter what.”