Thursday 06 March 2025 16:30
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Ruben Amorim has named his Manchester United side to take on Real Sociedad in the first leg of this evening’s UEFA Europa League last-16 tie.
There are three changes from the XI that started Sunday’s Emirates FA Cup clash with Fulham, with Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte – who both picked up knocks in that game – replaced by Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu and Casemiro.
The third alteration sees Alejandro Garnacho come in for Christian Eriksen, who is one of Amorim’s seven substitutes for the 17:45 GMT kick-off at the Reale Arena in San Sebastian.
It means Andre Onana resumes in goal, with Noussair Mazraoui a prime candidate to drop into the three-man defence and line up alongside centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, if we are to set up in Ruben’s favoured 3-4-2-1 system.
Mazraoui played at wing-back against Fulham but the return of Dorgu – eligible to play in European competition while he serves a three-match domestic suspension – should see the latter return on either the right or left flank, with Diogo Dalot expected to operate from the opposite side.
Casemiro comes in for Ugarte and will likely partner captain Bruno Fernandes in central midfield, with Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee poised to feature from the attacking midfield positions, behind our top scorer in this season’s Europa League, Rasmus Hojlund.
It’s a youthful bench for the Reds in the Basque Country, with Eriksen and Victor Lindelof joined by Elyh Harrison, Dermot Mee, Harry Amass, Ayden Heaven and Toby Collyer as substitutes – all of whom are aged 22 or younger.
Speaking to TNT Sports upon arriving at the Reale Arena, Amorim explained the importance of injecting freshness into his line-up for this one, on the back of a week in which we played with 10 men for most of last Wednesday’s win over Ipswich and 30 minutes of extra-time against Fulham just four days ago.
“It’s really important. We don’t have a lot of options, but they are ready,” said the boss, in his pre-match TV interview with the broadcaster.
“We try to manage the load these three days. I know that in the second half we will feel it a little bit, but we are excited to be here and we can deal with the physicality of the game.
“We need to be really strong, especially in the beginning of the game. It’s going to be really intense so we choose the team thinking about that also.”
THE LINE-UPS
United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Yoro; Dalot, Casemiro, Fernandes (c), Dorgu; Zirkzee, Garnacho; Hojlund.
Substitutes: Harrison, Mee, Amass, Heaven, Lindelof, Collyer, Eriksen.
Real Sociedad: Remiro; Elustondo, Aguerd, Zubeldia, Munoz; Sucic, Turrientes, Mendez; Kubo, Oyarzabal (c), Barrenetxea.
Substitutes: Marrero, Oskarsson, Becker, Javi Lopez, Olasagasti, Sergio Gomez, Traore, Aramburu, Marin, Martin, Beitia, Mariezkurrena.
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Thursday 06 March 2025 16:30
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