Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed that Joshua Zirkzee's fast return from a hamstring injury caught him by surprise, with the striker making the trip to Bilbao for the Europa League final.
Zirkzee was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign when it was revealed that he had suffered a hamstring issue during the Premier League clash with Newcastle United last month.
However, the Netherlands international said earlier this month that he had a slight chance of being available for the showpiece event with Tottenham Hotspur at San Mames.
Zirkzee's return is part of a triple injury boost for the Red Devils, with defenders Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro also in the squad, but Matthijs de Ligt has not been able to recover from a knee injury in time.
"Me neither! So they recover quite well," Amorim told reporters when he was asked about the surprise factor of Zirkzee's return.
© Imago
Amorim surprise by Zirkzee's return to fitness
"They push, of course, and we have to respect the feeling of the player but we push a little bit, as they wanted to be part of the team. That is a very good sign.
"Very good for us. Of course, they are limited in the minutes for the game but they can help us win the game. De Ligt is out."
When asked whether the possibility of extra-time would influence his decision in terms of his starting XI, Amorim responded: "No. I just think of the best starting XI to start the game. Then it's really important to have options on the bench, to change the game. Sometimes, they are really, really important to win a final. I'm not thinking about going to extra-time. Of course, we have that possibility but I never think about that.
"Maybe, in the final minutes, if we have two subs, then one and can wait for extra-time to have a think about the possibility. But, in the beginning of the game, I just want to win the game really fast.
"We know and we proved against Lyon, if we have to score three goals in six minutes we are able to do it, especially with our fans in the stadium!"
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Will Yoro, Dalot, Zirkzee start the Europa League final?
It is expected that both Yoro and Dalot will be in the starting XI on Wednesday night, but it would be a huge surprise to see Zirkzee come straight back into the side.
Rasmus Hojlund, despite his issues, is set to continue through the middle for the Red Devils, with Zirkzee expected to be an option off the bench on Wednesday night.
Dalot's return is a huge boost considering his consistency this term, and the Portugal international has also come up with three goals in the Europa League during the 2024-25 campaign.
Yoro, meanwhile, has been Man United's best player of late alongside captain Bruno Fernandes, and his availability is a major boost for the 20-time English champions.
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Matt Law
