Manchester United’s injury concerns in defence are growing as Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Ayden Heaven all missed first-team training today, while Diogo Dalot was only able to take part in an individual fitness session.
United’s last hope of salvaging success in an otherwise dismal season at Old Trafford lies in the Europa League.
The Red Devils travel to Bilbao next week to play Tottenham Hotspur – a side they have already lost three times to this season – in the final of the competition. The winner will be rewarded with automatic qualification into next season’s Champions League.
And given the respective league positions of both sides in the Premier League – 16th (United) and 17th (Spurs) – entry into Europe’s elite competition, despite their dreadful domestic form, would prove invaluable for either.
But both clubs are facing anxious waits over the fitness of key stars ahead of the season-defining showdown in Spain.
Spurs will be without James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall, while Dejan Kulusevski is increasingly a doubt after picking up a knee injury on Sunday.
Lisandro Martinez will be missing for United while there is only a faint possibility Joshua Zirkzee could still play a part after a serious hamstring injury had looked to have ended the striker’s season.
Yoro, 19, was forced off the pitch on Sunday in the 0-2 loss to West Ham in tears. And while the extent of his injury has not been clarified, the French starlet was absent from first-team training at Carrington today.
Also missing was Dutch defender De Ligt, who had only just returned from injury when he suffered another issue against Brentford last weekend. Heaven, 18, also did not train.
Dalot has been ruled out since the end of April with a calf injury but retains hope he will be fit enough to travel to Bilbao next week. The Portuguese fullback did not take part in full training but was seen engaging in a one-on-one fitness session on grass with a physio.
Manchester United open training ahead of Europa League final, no Yoro, De Ligt, Heaven or Dalot with group. Dalot doing individual work away from pitches.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/3owaKoM7Rc
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) May 14, 2025
Tweet: “Manchester United open training ahead of Europa League final, no Yoro, De Ligt, Heaven or Dalot with group. Dalot doing individual work away from pitches.”
Amorim will be sweating over the fitness of at least one of his senior centre-backs – either Yoro or De Ligt – and Dalot, whose return would enable Noussair Mazraoui to switch back into defence from wing-back.
Featured image Marc Atkins via Getty Images
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.
