Update: Seven players could miss Man United vs Athletic Bilbao Europa League semi-final News

Athletic Bilbao host Manchester United in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final next Thursday in a huge match for both teams

Manchester United and Athletic Bilbao both have their injury concerns ahead of the crucial Europa League semi-final next week.

The Reds will travel to the Basque club on Thursday, May 1, before welcoming them to Old Trafford the week after. For United, this is the only shot remaining to qualify for the Champions League next season.

Meanwhile, the La Liga club have their own incentives to reach the final beyond glory. The final of the Europa League will be held at their home stadium and that will likely make them favourites against either Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo/Glimt if they get that far.

If United are to make it to the final in Bilbao, they will have to do it without the services of Joshua Zirkzee and Lisandro Martinez for definite. Both men have been ruled out for the season with a hamstring and ACL issue respectively.

Matthijs de Ligt is set to return this season from an ankle injury but was absent from training again this week which could make it unlikely for him to feature in the first leg. Ayden Heaven also has a short-term problem which is keeping him sidelined at present.

Toby Collyer could be back for United in the second leg after an issue in his leg but that is not deemed to be serious. Amad is also nearing a return next month having suffered an ankle injury in training but the Europa League semi-final may come too soon for him.

In the Athletic Club camp, their manager Ernesto Valverde has suggested that top goalscorer Oihan Sancet could miss at least the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against United.

The 17-goal attacking midfielder picked up a muscular issue against Las Palmas in La Liga on Wednesday and is being assessed.

This is the only real concern for Bilbao with Nico Williams, Yeray Alvarez and Yuri Berchiche’s issues looking like they are behind them for now.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.