Manchester United have completed their final preparations for the Europa League final against Villarreal at the Stadion Miejski.
Following their arrival in Poland on Monday night, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's players performed media duties before taking to the field in the afternoon.
On Wednesday night, a portion of the 43,615 capacity will be filled with spectators, with approximately 9,500 expected inside.
With a number of positions still up for grabs, United's manager and coaches were given one last look at their players before the big game.
Here are five things we noticed during United's session in Gdansk:
Solskjaer had hoped that his captain would be able to join at the end of the session as he recovers from an ankle injury that has kept him out of the last four Premier League games.
"I think Harry will just jog up and down the sideline," he predicted. "He'll probably try to join in a little bit, but aside from that, we're looking pretty good."
Maguire, on the other hand, remained in the dugout in his full club tracksuit while his teammates were put through their paces on the pitch in front of him.
Cavani's new role is well defined.
Edinson Cavani, 34, recognizes that he is one of the Manchester United dressing room's elder statesmen.
He admits that with that experience comes more responsibility in the team's training sessions.
"These days, I'm the team's oldest player, the elder statesman, and that's a great motivator for me." It pushes me during training,” he said last week.
During passing drills, Cavani was seen gesticulating at teammates after a bad ball and communicating with some of the younger players.
His presence could be critical come game time.
Fergie observes
There are few better people to have on your side ahead of a huge European final than Sir Alex Ferguson.
The legendary former boss flew out with the team as an ambassador and was present during the team's final preparations.
In case there are any pre-match nerves, Solskjaer admitted that his presence will be a huge boost for both coaches and players.
“Just having him around when we eat in the restaurant, I'm sure the players can ask him if they have any questions. He's always up for a chat because this is his favorite club.”
The most important question
Who should start in Manchester United's Europa League final? Please leave a comment below.
It's almost unbelievable that just over 24 hours before a showpiece final, United fans are still unsure who will start in goal.
The Red Devils manager has been tight-lipped about his final selection, with both Dean Henderson and David de Gea vying for the job.
Both played key roles in drills, and pictures reveal little about who will be named to the starting lineup tomorrow night.
Youngsters smack dab in the middle of it
Following their performances against Wolves last time out, Anthony Elanga, Amad, and Shola Shoretire will be hoping to make an impact on a much larger stage.
As Solskjaer and technical director Darren Fletcher looked on, all three were heavily involved.
With Solskjaer's ability to name 12 substitutes and bring five of them on, there's a good chance that at least one of them will see action against Villarreal.
It should be an interesting battle to see who has staked their claim the best.
No comments:
Post a Comment