1 day Ago By Adnan Riaz
Ruben Amorim must not pass up the opportunity to take advantage of one Manchester United star’s best potential against Athletic Club on Thursday evening.The Red Devils punched their ticket to the semi-finals of the Europa League after Manchester United knocked Lyon out of the quarter-finals at Old Trafford.United fought back against Lyon in the second-leg tie after blowing a 2-0 lead before the Red Devils clinched a thrilling 5-4 win in extra time earlier this month.
Ruben Amorim’s men will now meet Spanish side Athletic Club in the semi-finals and the first-leg semi-final clash will be played at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.Athletic Club knocked Scottish side Rangers out of the Europa League quarter-finals and the La Liga outfit’s home venue is where the final will be played this season.The semi-final winner out of United and Athletic Club will face either Bodo Glimt or Tottenham in the 2024-25 Europa League final on 21st May in Spain.
United’s season now hinges on their success in the Europa League and the trophy offers Amorim a route back to the Champions League for next season.The Red Devils also face the real risk of securing no European football at all for the 2025-26 campaign, with United languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.READ MORE: Paul Scholes would ‘put money’ on Man Utd not pulling off one important feat before another Premier League clubPhoto by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty ImagesRuben Amorim must not hesitate to take a risk in starting Luke Shaw for Man Utd in the Europa League semi-final vs Athletic ClubLuke Shaw made his return to the starting XI and played the full 90 minutes for Manchester United against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium last Sunday.
The 29-year-old United left-back’s season has been disrupted by injuries and Luke Shaw has been reduced to only six appearances across all competitions.Shaw left United fans divided with his performance against Bournemouth, which marked the first time the England star had started for the Red Devils since 2024.Ruben Amorim initially deployed Shaw in the three-man backline for the start of the match and the United defender picked up important United first-team minutes.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manchester United (@manchesterunited)The 40-year-old United manager might be easing the England international back from injury, but the stakes are too high for Shaw not to start against Athletic Club.Amorim could leave it too late to turn to Shaw in the match if United do concede away from home and the Red Devils need to absorb the pressure from Athletic Club.Shaw’s experience is needed for United during a pivotal moment in the 2024-25 campaign and the Red Devils full-back has shown he can play the full 90 minutes.
READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand claims Man United still hold ‘landslide’ advantage in key area, he says ‘it’s a fact’ about one thing for clubWhat is Ruben Amorim’s current position on Man Utd star Luke Shaw ahead of the Europa League semi-final tie vs Athletic ClubSpeaking after United’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, Amorim admitted that he wants to take a “careful” approach with Luke Shaw.“It’s hard when you push 90 minutes from Luke Shaw,” he said, as per Manchester United’s official website.“He will maybe be in the squad, maybe we will not start.
We need to be careful with him.”Amorim added that Shaw showed his real quality on the pitch for United in the final third against Bournemouth in the Premier League match last Sunday.“It’s really important [that he got 90 minutes],” he said.
“We need to be careful with his availability, but today you could feel it, especially with the sending off, he was the guy that could overload that [left] side.“He has quality in the final third, a good pass. So, we maintain Luke Shaw because of that.
”Athletic Club and United’s first-leg Europa League semi-final encounter in Spain is slated for an 8pm kick-off time in the UK on Thursday..
