Football

MANCHESTER UNITED will be without Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez for tomorrow night’s Europa League final.Ruben Amorim’s squad for the blockbuster Bilbao clash has been confirmed with De Ligt and Martinez the only two senior players missing out on a place on the plane.Matthijs de Ligt has failed to make the Manchester United squad for the Europa League finalCredit: GettyLisandro Martinez also misses out as expected following his ACL injuryCredit: GettyOnly two Man Utd first team players will miss out on the Europa League final squadCredit: ReutersMan Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clashDe Ligt had been facing a late fitness battle to return in time for the final having picked up a knock against Brentford earlier this month.The central defender was not thought to have suffered a serious injury, but after sitting out clashes with Athletic Club, West Ham and Chelsea, he will now be forced to miss the final too.Meanwhile Martinez was always going to miss the European clash after a ruptured ACL injury against Crystal Palace in February.Despite the defensive blow to Amorim’s side ahead of the all-English clash, they appear to have been handed a major boost up top.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat’s because Joshua Zirkzee has been named in the travelling squad, despite Amorim previously claiming the Dutch striker was out for the season.The Portuguese manager previously said of the forward: “He’s not going to play more this season. Let’s prepare him for the next one.”It’s tough, especially in this moment. I think he’s improving in all aspects of the game, so it’s hard for any player to stop.”Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro, who had both been considered doubts too, have also been named in the travelling squad.Most read in FootballJoshua Zirkzee has returned to training early from an injury that was expected to keep him out for the seasonCredit: PALeny Yoro trained ahead of tomorrow’s Europa League finalCredit: PADiogo Dalot was also present in training despite doubts over his fitnessCredit: GettyManchester United Europa League squadTake a look at United’s travelling squad in full…GoalkeepersAltay BayindirTom HeatonDermot MeeAndre OnanaDefendersHarry AmassPatrick DorguDiogo DalotJonny EvansTyler FredricsonAyden HeavenVictor LindelofHarry MaguireNoussair MazraouiLuke ShawLeny YoroMidfieldersCasemiroToby CollyerChristian EriksenBruno FernandesKobbie MainooMason MountManuel UgarteForwardsAmadAlejandro GarnachoRasmus HojlundJoshua ZirkzeeJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old TraffordFull-back Dalot has been nursing a calf issue since the 1-0 loss to Wolves at Old Trafford on April 20.Meanwhile Yoro suffered an injury in United’s 2-0 home defeat to West Ham on May 11.Up 70k Man United and Spurs fans begin flooding Bilbao soaking up sun & cervezas ahead of Europa League finalYoung striker Chido Obi will also miss out on the trip due to being ineligible under Uefa rules following his switch from Arsenal in October.Opponents Tottenham will be without a number of big hitters through injury too.Ange Postecoglou will be unable to call on James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, with both creative outlets ruled out with knee injuries.While Lucas Bergvall is thought to be a major doubt with an ankle ligament issue.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash More

MANCHESTER UNITED or Tottenham fans will be praising their heroes for securing Champions League qualification in one of Europe’s most fascinating stadiums – dubbed ‘the Cathedral’. The two sides are hoping to put their nightmare Premier League seasons and dreadful form aside to clinch the Europa League crown.The new San Mames Stadium takes pride of place in BilbaoCredit: GettyThe LED lights on the exterior light up in different coloursCredit: GettyThe modern venue has 53,331 seatsCredit: AlamyFor Spurs, the final represents the chance to win a first major trophy since 2008.For United, it is their back-door route back to Europe’s top table in a season where they may well finish 17th – ahead of only relegated trio Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton. But there are as many storylines about the stadium where they will face off as the football itself.United beat Athletic Club in the semi-final to deny the Bilbao side from playing a European final in their home ground.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLUefa awarded this season’s Europa League final to the San Mames Stadium because it was due to host four matches at Euro 2020, including all three of Spain’s group matches.However, high Covid rates in the Basque Country saw the San Mames replaced by the Estadio de La Cartuja in Seville instead. So the compensation for missing out on the Euros was Wednesday’s Europa League showpiece and last year’s Women’s Champions League final. HISTORICAL HANDIWORKThe state-of-the-art San Mames Stadium was opened as Athletic Club’s new ground in 2013.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe 53,000-seater venue – which has LED coloured lights on the outside like Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena – replaced their predecessor stadium of the same name which opened exactly 100 years earlier. In an incredible touch recognising their history and heritage, a brick and a piece of turf from the old ground were also used in the building of the new San Mames.How Europa League final will be decided – four key Man Utd vs Tottenham tactical battlesThe new ground was built beside the site of the old San Mames stadiumCredit: GettyA human chain of players, fans and club heroes carried a brick from one to the otherCredit: AlamyBut rather than let a construction worker do the deed, a human chain including club legends, members of the women’s team, academy and both its oldest and youngest players and fans were all involved in carrying the brick from its place in the old stadium facade to the neighbouring new site. ORPHAN SHRINEThe name San Mames is a reference to Saint Mammes of Caesarea, a third-century Christian martyr who was born in prison where his parents were jailed.His mum and dad were both killed for their faith, leaving young Mammes an orphan. Mammes himself was persecuted for his own beliefs, including being thrown to lions – but managed to escape before eventually being impaled with a trident which eventually killed him.There is an old shrine to Saint Mammes next to the stadium, giving the ground its ‘Cathedral’ nickname.And it helps explain why Athletic Club are nicknamed the Lions.Athletic Club fans are passionate in their support of their beloved teamCredit: GettyThe club are nicknamed the Lions – after Saint Mammes escaped from being thrown to the lionsCredit: AlamyAthletic are in touch with their history with various statuesCredit: AlamyThe Spanish outfit have won eight LaLiga titles and 24 Copa del Rey tournamentsCredit: AlamyCAPTAINS GIVE THEIR FLOWERSAs we have already seen, the club are steeped in history.But their 98-year tradition is arguably the classiest of all.For virtually an entire century, the captains of teams playing at the San Mames – both the old and new versions – have laid flowers to honour Athletic icon Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as Pichichi.The legendary striker, who played for them in the early 1900s, suddenly passed away aged 29 from typhus.Skippers lay the flowers beside a statue of Pichichi in the tunnel area, with the bust placed outside at the previous stadium. Hungarian side MTK Budapest were the first to make the gesture in 1927.Bruno Fernandes will not participate in the tradition this week, having already played at the stadium multiple times – but Son Heung-min is set to as it is Spurs’ first visit. Away captains lay flowers to pay tribute to Pichichi on their club’s first visitCredit: GettySAN-DWICHESAthletic Club’s away fans are some of the best around – as they demonstrated on their recent visit to Old Trafford with the semi-final already all but over. And their home supporters are just as good – with home matchdays not just about the 90 minutes on the pitch.They gather in their thousands hours before kick-off on the Poza street just across from the stadium.The road is lined with bars and so the fans enjoy some pre-match drinks and pintxos snacks.But they also make sure to buy their sandwiches which they take in and eat at half-time, a wholesome Athletic tradition.Athletic fans flock to Pozo before matches to drink, eat and buy sandwiches for half-timeCredit: AFPThe supporters hold a special connection to the club and the cityCredit: AlamySWITCHING SPORTSBut the San Mames Stadium is not just used for football.In 2019, it was used as the starting point for stage 13 of the Vuelta a Espana as cyclists warmed up by riding around the pitch before setting off and heading out of Bilbao.Three Athletic fans and riders – Jonatan Lastra, Mikel Bizkarra and Omar Fraile – even wore the famous red-and-white shirts as they posed for photos on their bikes inside the stadium. Lastly, the record attendance at the stadium was set in another sport. Read More on The SunA whopping 52,114 fans crammed into the San Mames on April 17 this year for Athletic Club vs Rangers in the Europa League quarter-final, a new highest tally for a football match.However, that was exceeded for rugby union’s Champions Cup final in 2018 as Leinster beat Racing 92 in front of 52,282 spectators. Leinster won the 2018 Champions Cup final in front of the stadium’s record attendanceCredit: Sportsfile – SubscriptionA stage of the Vuelta a Espana started at the San MamesCredit: GettyThe riders cycled inside the stadium around the pitchCredit: RexMan Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash More

MANCHESTER UNITED will wear their red home shirts with black shorts and black socks for tomorrow’s Europa League final.The Red Devils have only worn the red, black, black combination once this season.Man Utd wore their red, black, black kit combination against Real SociedadCredit: GettyTottenham famously wear all white in European gamesCredit: GettyOrdinarily Ruben Amorim’s side would wear red shirts with white shorts and black socks.But with Tottenham having been drawn as the home team for the Europa League final, their home kit takes precedence.In the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou’s men wear white shirts with navy shorts and white socks.For European games, however, Spurs wear all-white due to a 64-year-old tradition.READ MORE ON MAN UTDRules dictate that clubs cannot wear the same colour shirts, shorts or socks.So with Tottenham set to wear white shorts, Man Utd will switch to black.The Red Devils have worn their red, black, black combination once this season.That came in the 1-1 Europa League draw with Real Sociedad in March.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSMan Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clashJoshua Zirkzee gave United a 57th minute lead on that occasion, with Mikel Oyarzabal levelling 13 minutes later.Man Utd’s goalkeeper will wear green in Bilbao, while Tottenham’s will be in yellow.Welcome to Bilbao’s San Mames stadium ahead of Europa League final between Man Utd and SpursSpurs’ all-white tradition dates back to 1961.Having become the first English side of the 20th century to win the league and FA Cup double, Bill Nicholson’s side entered the European Cup for the first time.The popular story suggests that Tottenham changed to all-white in order to emulate the famous Real Madrid side of the time.But in reality, Nicholson, ever the innovator, made the change for practical reasons – deciding that an all-white kit would help visibility under the dodgy floodlights of the time.The change has served Spurs well over the years, with the Lilywhites having won two Uefa Cups and a Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash More

BRUNO FERNANDES watches so much football that he’s been accused of being sickeningly obsessed with it.The Manchester United star was recently caught watching a random Polish match while waiting for a train with his team-mates.Bruno Fernandes was spotted watching a random Polish game on his phone recentlyFernandes is the brains of the good side of Man UtdFernandes’ former Red Devils team-mate Juan Mata called the soon to be 31-year-old midfielder “football sick”.According to The Telegraph, United players spotted their captain glued to a screen while they waited on platform for a train last month.The squad soon saw that Fernandes was watching an obscure match from Poland’s Ekstraklasa while travelling to an away game.No outfield player across Europe’s top five leagues has made more appearances (288) or played more minutes (24,474) than the Portugal midfielder since he moved to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47 million in February 2020.READ MORE ON MAN UTDBut as Fernandes prepares for his 63rd and biggest game of another horror campaign, his team-mates will again look to him for all the answers in Wednesday’s all-English Europa League final against Spurs in Bilbao.This will be Fernandes’ fifth final with United, winning just two and losing the 2021 Europa League crunch clash on penalties to Villarreal.Manager Ruben Amorim, 40, said recently United could do with “two Brunos” to which one insider quipped: “How about 10?”.No midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues has had more goal involvements since February 2020 than Fernandes’s 112.Most read in FootballJoin SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from Old TraffordManchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne is second with 100, while Fernandes also beats the Belgian’s 430 chances created with 535.In another dismal season, Fernandes has 17 goals across all competitions along with 14 assists.Bruno Fernandes matches Cristiano Ronaldo record as he wins Man Utd award – but admits he DOESN’T want itNo outfield player across Europe’s top five leagues has made more appearances since Fernandes joined United in 2020And he equalled Cristiano Ronaldo by winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for a fourth time last week.Amorim’s men have been a different beast in European competition, with Fernandes setting the all-time goal contribution record in Europa League history (41).And club legend Roy Keane believes Fernandes could be the X-factor in Bilbao.Keane, who slammed Fernandes earlier this season, told Sky Sports: “You still have to fancy United. “Someone like Bruno can produce, the history of Manchester United still carries a little bit of weight.”United’s history in finals compared to Spurs’. That might edge it for them, and I think Bruno can produce that bit of magic.”Journalist Ben Jacobs reports that Al-Hilal are ready to pay Fernandes a staggering £65million per season on a three-year deal.Man Utd vs Spurs – Europa League final: Kick-off time, TV channel and live stream info for Bilbao clash More