2025-05-03T04:00:00Z

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Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info As evidence of just how unexpectedly smoothly things went for Manchester United in Bilbao, witness the sight of Matthijs de Ligt and Amad coming off the bench to begin their return to match fitness after a spell on the sidelines. De Ligt got as routine a 25 minutes in the centre of defence as it's possible to imagine in a Europa League semi-final, easing his way back in after a month out, while Amad played the final six minutes plus stoppages after returning from almost three months out with an ankle problem. Both were spotted in full training for the first time at Carrington on Wednesday and were included on the bench at San Mames, but Ruben Amorim could never have imagined the first leg of this tie would go so well that he could get minutes into both. With more than one foot now in the final on May 21, Amorim will be hoping to have both available to start back in Bilbao. That shouldn't be an issue for De Ligt. There are places up for grabs in defence, and he would start ahead of Victor Lindelof from the team that began on Thursday. The 25-year-old has to have a chance of starting at Brentford on Sunday and aiming for an hour at the Gtech Community Stadium, which might be enough to see him start against Athletic at Old Trafford on Thursday. There will be a little more caution with Amad, whose absence from training has been longer. He was initially ruled out for the season after suffering an ankle ligament injury in training, but that was soon downgraded, and he should now have an excellent chance of starting United's biggest game of the season. The question might be where he starts. Having begun life under Amorim as a wing-back, Amad was moved into a No. 10 role and thrived there from mid-December, with the head coach keen to utilise a left-footer in one of those attacking positions. But Amorim has struck on a nice balance in the Europa League, and the four midfield positions arguably pick themselves now, with Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro deep and Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho as No. 10s. It's hard to see any disruption to that, although Amorim could opt to replace Garnacho with Amad. Maybe the more likely route into the team is that Amad returns to his wing-back role, and he could be the perfect replacement for Diogo Dalot, who is injured at the moment and will face a battle to return in time for the final. Noussair Mazraoui has filled in for Dalot, but it is Amad who will offer far more attacking thrust down the right. Amad has shown he is a capable wing-back and a far more attacking option than the dependable Mazraoui. It would mean two left-footers in the wide roles, with Patrick Dorgu on the other flank, but Amorim has been happy to field that kind of combination previously. It might also be a chance to trial Amad in that position ahead of next season. As good as he has been as a No. 10, United have a surfeit of players fighting for those positions, and Matheus Cunha's expected arrival will only add to the backlog. At wing-back, the competition isn't as fierce. With Geovany Quenda now set to sign for Chelsea, it could mean Amorim either looks for an alternative signing in that position or uses Amad there more regularly. He has the versatility to play as an attacking midfield one week and then at wing-back the next, with Dalot remaining a reliable option as well. Having Amad back is going to be a significant boost for United. Had he not suffered that injury when at the peak of his powers this season, he could have been challenging Fernandes for player of the year honours. As it is, his return will give Amorim a second game-changing starter and in a final that could make the difference. Amad has proved he can do just that, whether he starts as a wing-back or a No. 10. --- Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.