Manchester United have been handed an unexpected boost ahead of their Europa League round of 16 clash with Real Sociedad this evening
Real Sociedad will be without the services of their key player Martin Zubimendi on Thursday evening when they host Manchester United in the Europa League.
Zubimendi had been named as a doubt for the tie with United having been withdrawn at half-time in the recent defeat to Barcelona with a suspected hamstring injury. However, the Spaniard was ruled as being fit to face the Reds after he featured in training on Wednesday in San Sebastian.
That is why it was a major shock to see that Zubimendi was not part of the team in any capacity this evening. Shortly after announcing their line-up for the fixture, Real Sociedad confirmed that the defensive midfielder would miss the game due to illness.
This is seen as a boost for the Reds considering how well Zubimendi has been playing for the La Liga club and the attention he has attracted in recent months. During the summer transfer window, it seemed only a matter of time before Liverpool would complete the signing of the midfielder.
However, this move fell through as both the club and Zubimendi decided to stay put for one more season. Now, the suggestion is that Zubimendi will be moving to the Premier League at the end of the season.
His destination will not be Anfield but rather the Emirates Stadium. Several reports have suggested that Arsenal are willing to pay the midfielder’s £50m transfer buyout clause but it remains to be seen if the suggestions are premature or not.
What is for certain is that Zubimendi will have to wait until next week at the earliest for his audition against a Premier League club.
2025-03-06 17:07:56
