15 Players Set to Miss Real Sociedad vs Manchester United Europa League Clash
- Manchester United and Real Sociedad could be without 15 players in their Europa League clash
- The two sides face off in the Europa League round of 16 with the first leg set for Thursday, March 6 in San Sebastián
- The Red Devils are one of the favourites to win the competition after going unbeaten in the group phase
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Manchester United face Real Sociedad in the Europa League round of 16 first leg on Thursday, March 6 at the Reale Arena.
The Red Devils head into the match after they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham on Sunday, March 2.
Both sides are also facing serious injury issues and will be without several of their top players.
Source: Getty Images
15 players set to miss Man United Europa League clash
Man United are having a dreadful season in the Premier League and their injuries are threatening to spoil their European campaign.
According to Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils are set to be without Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Toby Collyer, Jonny Evans, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton.
The aforementioned players are nursing injuries, with Martinez and Amad out for the rest of the season.
Harry Maguire could also miss the contest after he was taken off against Fulham. Chido Obi will miss the match due to UEFA rules.
For Real Sociedad, they could be without Alvaro Odriozola, Arsen Zakharyan, Jon Pacheco and Luka Sucic, who missed their 4-0 loss to Barcelona.
Ruben Amorim's side are favourites to win the competition, but his squad is getting thinner. They are attempting to avoid a relegation scrap and salvaging the season with a Europa League trophy.
Can Man United win Europa League?
The Red Devils last won the competition in 2017 under José Mourinho, and it remains their last success in the continental stage.
They reached the final in 2021 but lost to Villarreal after a marathon penalty shootout in Gdańsk, Poland, per BBC Sport.
Opta have Man United as the fifth favourites with a 7% chance behind Lazio, Tottenham Hotspur, Athletic Club, and AS Roma.
Opta have given Sociedad a 43.8% chance to win the first leg while Man United have a 29.4% chance.
Source: Getty Images
The positive story is the Red Devils are the only unbeaten team in the competition this season.
"I think we can go game by game and we can win it. Then you have the responsibility, no matter the context, you are in Manchester United so you must fight for winning trophies," Amorim recently said via MEN.
"When you get to this stage of any competition, anything is possible and they can prove, on a good day, they can win against anybody. So we can think about that [winning the competition]."
According to The Telegraph, the club is also planning for Europa League football for the next few seasons.
Did Fernandes criticise Amorim?
TUKO.co.ke earlier reported that Bruno Fernandes appeared to question the tactics of his coach Amorim.
The Man United captain was baffled by Amorim insisting on playing a certain way when it wasn't working.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
