Manchester United face Arsenal in the Premier League this weekendManchester United face Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend
Manchester United face Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend | Manchester United via Getty Images
Ruben Amorim believes participating in the Europa League is 'so much harder' than the Champions League due to the impact it has on the domestic schedule. United drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday night and will have just two days to recover before they host Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s side will have benefited from two days of additional rest for the match after they thrashed PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Arsenal are also boosted by the fact they have effectively won the knockout tie already and can go full strength at Old Trafford, while United face a bigger test against Sociedad next week and will have to manage their squad.
United might not have any players back when they host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and Amorim feels disadvantaged by the tight turnaround.
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Europa League is 'so much harder' than the Champions League
Manchester United only named five outfield players on the bench to face Real Sociedad in midweek and might face the same dilemma when they host Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. Patrick Dorgu is suspended for the match, while Chido Obi is eligible to feature again. Manuel Ugarte and Harry Maguire could both miss out again after they missed the trip to Spain.
"We need to survive Sunday," Amorim told reporters in his pre-match press conference. "The team was so tired in the last 20 minutes. We have to prepare Sunday and think about this important game for our season on Thursday. In this moment, I don't know. When you are in this kind of club you cannot think like that with a small squad in this moment. We are trying to see all the players who are fresh and who are not in danger of getting an injury. Even with that, we have to risk a little bit, but we have to be competitive on Sunday. In the Premier League, every game is really important. In our moment, we need to win. It's always a problem when we don't win. We have to focus on everything at the same time.
"I think the biggest problem is not having all the players. In the beginning, people talk about our rotation, especially in Europe, changing all the time, and it's because of this. Europa League is, in my opinion, so much harder than the Champions League. Not the game, but the recovery to play in the Premier League on the weekend. We have to deal with that.
"I will not have the time Arteta had, I feel that. It’s a different club. So we just need to survive with the players on Sunday and we are doing these games. I think it’s a different club. I think in that aspect, the way Arteta dealt with that is an inspiration for everybody, but I will not have the time like Arteta had."