Both Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte were absent from training today as Manchester United prepare for tomorrow night’s clash with Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
The competition offers the Red Devils the last hope of success this season after last weekend’s disappointing exit from the FA Cup on penalties at the hands of Fulham – the match Steve Railston (Manchester Evening News) reveals Maguire and Ugarte picked up their respective injuries.
United are currently languished in 14th in the Premier League table and any prospect of climbing into the European qualification spots are a practical impossibility, even if it remains a mathematical possibility.
Triumph in the Europa League, however, would gift the club first-seed entry into next season’s Champions League as well as a significant financial boost for winning the competition.
This seasons’ iteration of the Europa League did not permit teams from the Champions League to drop down into it. As such, there are only a few sides who should present a problem to United in reaching the final in Bilbao – with Real Sociedad being one such candidate.
And this is why the update that neither Maguire and Ugarte – both key players for Ruben Amorim since he took over at Old Trafford in November – participated in training is such a worrying one ahead of tomorrow’s trip to San Sebastien.
Alejandro Garnacho is training, but there’s no Harry Maguire or Manuel Ugarte. They both have minor issues that were picked up against Fulham #mufc
— Steven Railston (@StevenRailston) March 5, 2025
Tweet: “Alejandro Garnacho is training, but there’s no Harry Maguire or Manuel Ugarte. They both have minor issues that were picked up against Fulham #mufc.”
Maguire, who turns 32 today, has enjoyed something of a renaissance in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system which relies on a tall, aerially dominant centre-back at the heart of the defence.
Similarly, Ugarte is an essential in the centre of the pitch given he has previously thrived under Amorim during their time together at Sporting.
The alternatives to the Uruguayan international – Casemiro and Christian Eriksen – are physically incapable of meeting their Portuguese coach’s demands in midfield.
It would be a major blow for Amorim to be unable to rely on either player against Real Sociedad tomorrow night, forcing him to compromise with a less suitable alternative given the number of injuries already in the United squad.
United face a limp end to a dismal season if they suffer a heavy defeat in Spain.
Amorim, already under increasingly acute pressure, desperately needs a positive result performance against Erreala to give himself some breathing room at Old Trafford. The 40-year-old just looks like he will be unable to rely on two of his trusted confidants on the pitch in order to do so.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Imagesand
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
