Ruben Amorim: Recovery from Europa League ‘so much harder’ than Champions League

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim stressed the importance of recovery as his depleted side limp into Sunday’s clash with Arsenal looking to “survive”.

The Gunners make the journey to Old Trafford buoyed by Tuesday’s 7-1 Champions League win away to PSV Eindhoven and are the favourites to beat a side struggling for numbers and freshness.

United were without 11 players for Thursday’s trip to Real Sociedad in the Europa League, which came hot on the heels of their FA Cup exit to Fulham going the distance and playing the second half against Ipswich down to 10 men.

Amorim does not expect his injury issues to ease in Sunday’s return to Premier League action, admitting after the 1-1 last-16 first-leg draw in Spain that United “need to survive Sunday” against Arsenal.

Asked after that comment if this was the worst fixture United could have in the circumstances and whether it was just a matter of getting through it, the head coach said: “Yeah, any fixture.

“In the Premier League, every game is really important. In our moment we need to win. It’s always a problem when we don’t win, so we have to focus on everything at the same time.

“I think the biggest problem is not to have all the players, because in the beginning (of my reign) people talk about our rotation, especially in Europe. We were changing all the time and it’s because of this, because it’s really hard.

“The Europa League is so much harder, in my opinion, than the Champions League – not the games, but the recovery to play in the Premier League on the weekend, so we have to deal with that.”

United remain without Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Mason Mount, as well as goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Altay Bayindir.

Harry