Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has confirmed that his team’s focus remains firmly on their upcoming Premier League match against Chelsea, even as the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur approaches next week.
United, who face Spurs in Bilbao next Wednesday, see the final as their last opportunity to secure Champions League qualification after disappointing league performances left both clubs in 16th and 17th place, respectively.
Amorim emphasized that his lineup for Friday’s match will not be dictated by the looming final — unless a player is at risk of injury.
“If there is a player that can get an injury (and is) not recovered for this game, so (playing on Friday) will put him in risk for the final, he will not play,” Amorim told reporters on Wednesday.
“But if it’s not that situation, we will have a lot of time to recover. We cannot spend eight days, nine days without a game. That is a bad thing for the final so I think they will be prepared for the game.”
“The best thing to prepare the final is to play the game. The players have to understand that if you play or don’t play against Chelsea, it means nothing to the final, that is important.”
The manager is currently dealing with an injury crisis in defence. Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Ayden Heaven are all ruled out for the Chelsea game. However, Jonny Evans and Toby Collyer have returned to training and could be available.
When asked if the team to face Chelsea will resemble the one that lines up in Bilbao, Amorim remained non-committal.
“I don’t know. I know the starting 11 I am thinking for Chelsea, then I will see,” he said.
“Even the way we play there, against Chelsea, I will see it and it’s going to be important for the next one.”
With a European final on the horizon, Amorim appears determined to strike a balance between preparation and caution, ensuring United are both sharp and injury-free for the decisive clash.
