Latest Manchester United news as the Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Club moves ever closer
Manchester United still have a few days to wait before they are back in Europa League action against Athletic Club.
United will host the Spanish outfit at Old Trafford in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.
Ruben Amorim’s side have a 3-0 lead going into the second leg next week and have a major advantage over Bilbao in the battle to reach this month’s final.
A Casemiro header and brace from Bruno Fernandes gave Amorim’s men a comfortable lead at the Estadio de San Mames heading into the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, with the hosts going down to ten men on Thursday night.
United have been forced to deal with several injury concerns throughout the season, and it will be the same for Athletic Club next Thursday. Ernesto Valverde, manager of the La Liga club, is sweating on the availability of some key players on the sidelines for the trip to Manchester.
One player who is guaranteed to miss the match is Dani Vivian, who will be suspended for the match against United. The defender was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity in the first leg at the San Mames and will now serve a one-match ban in a huge blow for the Basque outfit.
In terms of injuries, Bilbao could still be without midfielder Oihan Sancet for the return fixture in Manchester next week. The Spain international missed the first leg in Bilbao with a muscle injury and it remains uncertain if he will be available to face United next Thursday.
There were also concerns about Nico Williams’ fitness going into the first leg between United and Bilbao. The forward played the first 79 minutes of the contest in Spain on Thursday before being substituted, with the days leading up to the fixture seeing doubts about whether or not he would be available due to an ongoing groin injury over the last few weeks.
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2025-05-03 10:30:00
