While both sides are already confirmed as progressing from the group, the identity of the first-placed team – and therefore the one that goes straight into the round of 16 in March – is yet to be decided.
To overhaul the La Liga side, United will need to win by two clear goals or more at Reale Arena. Any other result would see us finish second, a fate which would require us to play two additional games in February – home and away in a play-off, against one of the sides dropping out of the Champions League after finishing third in their groups.
Anthony Martial is back in team training for United, after a month-long lay-off, while Erik ten Hag was optimistic about the prospect of Antony returning from his one-game absence when speaking after Sunday’s win over West Ham. Victor Lindelof also missed the Hammers game through illness, with Harry Maguire featuring alongside Lisandro Martinez at center-back, as Raphael Varane is still out.
Ten Hag is likely to give a further update on his squad when he sits down in Spain for his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening, but Bruno Fernandes is free to play as the one-match suspension he picked up at the weekend only applies to Premier League games.
The hosts have a number of gaps in their attacking ranks, with Takefusa Kubo ruled out due to a dislocated shoulder. Former Manchester City playmaker David Silva is also expected to miss the game, joining longer-term absentees Mikel Oyarzabal and Umar Sadiq on the sidelines. Momo Cho, the young French forward, is absent with a hamstring injury.k, for Thursday’s big Europa League Group E showdown with Real Sociedad.
While both sides are already confirmed as progressing from the group, the identity of the first-placed team – and therefore the one that goes straight into the round of 16 in March – is yet to be decided.
To overhaul the La Liga side, United will need to win by two clear goals or more at Reale Arena. Any other result would see us finish second, a fate which would require us to play two additional games in February – home and away in a play-off, against one of the sides dropping out of the Champions League after finishing third in their groups.
Anthony Martial is back in team training for United, after a month-long lay-off, while Erik ten Hag was optimistic about the prospect of Antony returning from his one-game absence when speaking after Sunday’s win over West Ham. Victor Lindelof also missed the Hammers game through illness, with Harry Maguire featuring alongside Lisandro Martinez at center-back, as Raphael Varane is still out.
Ten Hag is likely to give a further update on his squad when he sits down in Spain for his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening, but Bruno Fernandes is free to play as the one-match suspension he picked up at the weekend only applies to Premier League games.
The hosts have a number of gaps in their attacking ranks, with Takefusa Kubo ruled out due to a dislocated shoulder. Former Manchester City playmaker David Silva is also expected to miss the game, joining longer-term absentees Mikel Oyarzabal and Umar Sadiq on the sidelines. Momo Cho, the young French forward, is absent with a hamstring injury.
