Europa League

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has listed Anthony Elanga’s ‘X-factor’ qualities, after promoting him to the first-team squad.The 18-year-old winger is part of the Red Devils’ 24-man travelling party for their Europa League clash with Granada this evening.
Anthony Elanga has travelled to Spain with United’s first-team squadCredit: Getty
And with the Swede in contention to make his first-team debut, Solskjaer gushed about what makes him such a special talent.
He said: “I’ve got faith in the young lads, of course, and, in Anthony, we have a player with good skills, a great attitude and he scores goals from either the right or left, and he’s got good pace.
“He’s not just there for experience, he might actually play a part, who knows?
“He’s got that X-factor and I like players with speed and acceleration and he’s definitely got that.”
The Norwegian, 48, then added: “Anthony will be in the squad, he’ll be on the bench.
“He’s impressed when he’s been in training with us. He was very unlucky two or three months ago, when he got a bad injury and he worked really hard to come back because he was just due to move into the first-team squad back then.
“He has got some X-factor, some attributes. It’s not like a gift, but the pace and acceleration and speed that he’s got, that’s a given for wingers.
“When he’s got that speed, he’s always got qualities I like. He’s a goalscoring winger, he’s confident.
Elanga will hope to make a similar impact to that of fellow teen Mason GreenwoodCredit: Getty
How SunSport feel Man Utd could line up against Granada
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“He likes to beat men and can finish with his right foot and left foot and he’s got a great attitude.
“He has an appetite and hunger to improve and when he’s been training with us, he’s not been fazed by it. He’s confident.
“He’s not just here for the experience, he’s ready to play a part if he has to.”
Man United are without forward Anthony Martial, who could be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Elanga’s fellow teenager Amad Diallo is also in the matchday squad, although Shola Shoretire misses out.
Attacker Elanga is yet to make his competitive first-team debut for the Red Devils, but did feature in the pre-season friendly with Aston Villa last summer.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength for the Under-23s, scoring six goals in 12 PL2 appearances – while also netting against Salford and Accrington’s first-teams in the EFL Trophy.
Elanga, who won the club’s Jimmy Murphy Youth Team Player of the Year gong last season, recently penned a new ‘long-term’ deal with the club – and will wear the No56 shirt if called upon this evening.
Elanga recently penned a ‘long-term’ deal with UnitedCredit: Getty
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MIKEL ARTETA hopes the verbal kicking his players have taken this week will help knock some sense into them.The Arsenal boss warns there can be no repeat of  Saturday’s half-hearted efforts against Liverpool for tonight’s Europa League last-eight clash with Slavia Prague.
Mikel Arteta has issued a strong warning to the Arsenal squad ahead of the Slavia Prague tie
And he makes it clear any players who do not share his passion and commitment for the club will soon find themselves heading for the exit.
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit piled into the current crop of Gunners, claiming that the club has become “a retirement home for average ­players”.
And the former French midfielder is urging rookie Arteta to launch a mass clear out this summer.
Meanwhile, Gary Neville claimed “a little mafia” was emerging in their ranks and that the front five were “a joke” in the 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool.
Arteta has seen and heard all the negative comments and admits there is no place for his players to hide.
Ahead of tonight’s quarter-final first leg, he said: “We have to respect every opinion and the criticism we received for the way we played against Liverpool was fully deserved.
“We have to take it on the chin and sometimes a big punch in the face is a good thing to get back to reality.
“Petit knows the club really well and he was here during the most successful years.
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Ex-Gunner Emmanuel Petit was highly critical of Arsenal’s players after the Liverpool defeat
“He is entitled to give his opinion and my job is to change that. Not by talking but through our response on the pitch when we are at full gas.
“Some players are more introverted, or show more emotion with their body language than others but that does not mean they are not hurting as much.
“But the players that don’t have that emotion, passion and commitment won’t be at this club, for sure.
“It’s all about how you take the criticism. It’s not good to feel guilty because that can quickly turn into fear.
“It’s just about taking responsibility every day for what you do on the pitch and for the club that we represent.
“I cannot criticise the work ethic of my players because it isn’t about whether they are trying or not.

“But there are areas where we have limitations and inconsistencies and that is the big frustration for me.
“There are many things that we can do really well and that’s why what happened against Liverpool was such a shock to the system.
“There was nothing in the run-up to that game which suggested that performance was going to happen.
“So it’s not down to one or two players doing better against Slavia.
“The whole team — and myself — all have to put in an improved performance.”
With a top-four finish now all but impossible for Arsenal, they need to win the Europa League to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Kieran Tierney was forced off vs Liverpool but Arteta hopes to have him back soon
But their hopes have suffered a major blow with news that in-form left-back Kieran Tierney could now be out for the rest of the campaign after suffering a knee injury against Liverpool.
Arteta said: “I don’t know if Kieran will play again this season because we first have to make sure that he doesn’t need any surgery.
“If he doesn’t have an operation, the timeframe will be around four to six weeks.
“He’s so keen to play for us again and he’s extremely eager to represent Scotland at the Euros.
“It’s not quite the bad news we were expecting after the game on Saturday because the action looked quite scary and it could have been worse.

“But he’s feeling better now and hopefully the damage is not that bad.”
Defender David Luiz also misses tonight’s game, having undergone knee surgery on Sunday, while on-loan Martin Odegaard is struggling with an ankle injury.
ARSENAL (likely): Leno, Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Saka, Partey, Xhaka, Aubameyang, Smith Rowe, Willian, Lacazette.
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ARSENAL host Slavia Prague in the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.And Mikel Arteta has some selection dilemmas on his hands with Kieran Tierney and David Luiz out injured with Martin Odegaard also a doubt.
How Arsenal could line up for their Europa League quarter-final against Slavia Prague
The Gunners gave an injury update on Wednesday afternoon which also included some positive injury news.
Bukayo Saka is back in training and available for selection after a right hamstring injury.
Emile Smith Rowe and Granit Xhaka are also back having been out with a right thigh problem and illness respectively.
Arteta will be buoyed by the trio’s return but he faces a selection dilemma at the back with Luiz and Tierney missing.
Luiz underwent a procedure on his right knee at the weekend and will be out for several weeks.
Tierney damaged ligaments in his left knee in Saturday’s 3-0 thrashing by Liverpool.
Fortunately the Scot does not have to have surgery but Arsenal do not expect him back in training for between four and six weeks.
Further up the pitch, Odegaard faces a late fitness test having struggled with a right ankle problem since returning from international duty with Norway.
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Martin Odegaard faces a late fitness test to determine whether he is fit to play

And Arteta could ring the changes in attack after Gary Neville criticised Saturday’s front six for ‘playing like a mafia’.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “I was really uncomfortable with what I saw. There have been a number of times in the last ten years when I’ve been doing MNF where my anger has emerged and grown over a couple of days after the game. And it happens very rarely…
“But I have to say, coming out of Saturday – and we don’t know what goes on behind the scenes – there was a few of those players in the front part of the pitch – it looked like a little mafia.
“It looked like a little group of players who weren’t comfortable – like there was a disconnect between them and the manager. The manager looked like he’s had enough of them – he had that glazed eye look.”
And circling Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Odegaard, Nicolas Pepe, Dani Ceballos and Thomas Partey on his interactive screen, Neville added: “What was really different was the effort – or lack of it – of the front six.
“Odegaard a few times did try and put a bit of a press on but he was on his own. But the rest of them… I’d go as far to say they were a joke.
“I think Arteta will have come away from that game on Saturday thinking ‘It’s me or them’.”
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MANCHESTER UNITED travel to Granada in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night.But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is facing a striker crisis with Anthony Martial out, Marcus Rashford an injury concern and Edinson Cavani struggling for form.
How Man Utd could line up against Granada
United named their travelling party on Wednesday afternoon but their starting XI remains far from certain.
Martial is set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
The French international injured his left knee in France’s World Cup qualifier with Kazakhstan late last month, which they won 2-0.
Solskjaer told MUTV: “Losing Anthony for what might be the rest of the season is very disappointing, especially when reports from there [France] was that it wasn’t anything serious but it looks a bad one.”
Rashford also picked up a knock on England duty but managed to play in United’s 2-1 victory over Brighton on Sunday.
However, he was subbed off after a heavy tackle and faces a late fitness test ahead of the game in Spain.
Solskjaer said: “Marcus is travelling and we’ve just got to make a decision tomorrow if he starts or is on the bench. I don’t think he’ll be a 90 minutes man.”
Edinson Cavani would appear to be the obvious man to start up front but after a shaky performance against the Seagulls, Solskjaer may look to young star Mason Greenwood instead.
The Norwegian also has a tough decision to make between the sticks.
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Marcus Rashford faces a late fitness test while Edinson Cavani could be given a chance to make amends for his Brighton performanceMan Utd squad for trip to GranadaManchester United play Granada away on Thursday in the first-leg of their Europa League quarter-final and the Red Devils have announced the players who are travelling to Spain…

Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Dean Henderson, Lee Grant, Nathan Bishop.
Defenders: Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Alex Telles, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Brandon Williams.
Midfielders: Amad, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Daniel James, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek.
Forwards: Edinson Cavani, Anthony Elanga, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford.

With the David De Gea and Dean Henderson saga rumbling on, Solskjaer refused to confirm who will start although both have travelled.
Henderson is edging his way towards claiming the No 1 jersey full time
And De Gea is reportedly set to be axed in the summer with Europe’s biggest clubs – including Real Madrid – being offered his services.
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