Ruben Amorim acknowledges that the defeat to Chelsea has influenced his decision regarding the Manchester United lineup for the UEFA Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Ruben Amorim has revealed that Manchester United’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Friday has played a crucial role in shaping his starting lineup for the upcoming UEFA Europa League final next week.

The only goal of the match came in the 71st minute, when Reece James executed a deft pirouette on the edge of the box, setting up Marc Cucurella to nod the ball home. This victory ensures that Chelsea will finish in the top five, as they prepare to face Nottingham Forest in their final league match of the season. A win at the City Ground would secure Enzo Maresca’s side a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

In stark contrast, Amorim’s Manchester United has now suffered 18 league defeats this season and remains winless in their last eight league outings, marking their longest drought without a victory in the Premier League era. Despite sitting in 16th place with just 39 points, United are gearing up for a Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, which will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

“I won’t talk about the summer,” Amorim stated in an interview with Sky Sports. “The good news is that in the Europa League, we are scoring many goals. We will prepare for the Europa League game.”

He added, “We have to deal with a lot of things in the summer, but today it was a really good game to prepare for the final. If we put some players out in the feeling of the last game, almost 10 days without playing, it would be a mistake. It was beneficial for them to play, to feel they can do it, that we can have possession and push the opponent. In this club, you need to win, and we are not winning games.”

Amorim concluded, “It helped me a lot to choose the starting XI for the final. So we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca has emphasized that the current Chelsea squad is markedly different from those of previous years, pointing to a lack of depth and experience compared to the star-studded teams of the past.

In his comments to Sky Sports, Maresca said, “For me, the problem is, in general, people, the press, think Chelsea is the same Chelsea from years ago. It’s not the same. I can understand that people struggle to understand it.”

He continued, “Once again, tonight Nicolas Jackson was suspended, and we played with Tyrique George, with six players from the academy. Years ago, if Didier Drogba was injured, Diego Costa would play or Fernando Torres. This is a completely different Chelsea. We are in the right direction, but we can bring the club to where it deserves to be.”

Maresca also addressed the financial aspect, stating, “I don’t think – since I’m here – that we are spending more money than other clubs. We are spending the same money. But we are building something important; people have to trust us. We are in the right direction, we are working well, and we can fight, in the future, for important titles.”