Now that the Premier League clash with Chelsea is out of the way, it is full steam ahead for Manchester United toward the Europa League final.
The disappointing 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge means very little for Manchester United this season, with the league campaign long over.
In fact, there were major positives to take from the defeat in that Ruben Amorim was handed no additional injury concerns on the night, meaning a strong team is available for the Europa League final.
Speaking after the game, Amorim admitted that the performance had helped him a great deal in regards to selecting his team to start the final.
United had some standout performers against Chelsea, with these players securing their spot in the starting line-up. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Rasmus Hojlund was awful for United up front.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Phil Bardsley raves over Harry Maguire
The line-up Amorim named from the start against Chelsea was probably mostly the team he will want to face Spurs in Bilbao on Wednesday.
That being said, there are positions in which there isn’t a locked-in player. This is not the case with United’s centre centre-back role with Harry Maguire making that his own.
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Speaking on MUTV after the Chelsea game, pundit Phil Bardsley discussed Maguire and admitted he is a player who has to start the final.
“What he has come back from over the years, with the setbacks he has had, such as getting the armband taken off him and not being the flavour of the month with other managers, he is a credit to himself with his performances and the levels he has shown this season.
“Now, he’s probably one of the first names on the team sheet. From where he was to where he is now, he’s shown real leadership skills, and he always looks a threat in both boxes, and credit to him, he’s an exceptional player.”
Harry Maguire has the chance to complete Manchester United career turnaround
Maguire is almost a guaranteed starter at the San Mames next week with his revival this season among Amorim’s biggest success stories.
Playing in the Europa League final for United will be extra sweet as Maguire was an unused substitute in the 2021 Europa League final loss to Villareal, while this time he is going to play a key role and is seen as one of the first names on the team sheet.
So if he plays and has an impact in United lifting the trophy, it will be a full circle moment for Maguire, going from zero to hero to icon status if this trophy helps restore the glory days.
This would be Maguire’s third trophy for United in as many years, and he will hope this is not the last with the 2025/26 season set to be his last with the club.
Maguire is an example for everyone at the club, and will be huge on Wednesday.