Treat Chelsea game like it was a final, says Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim has ordered his Manchester United players to treat tomorrow night’s trip to Chelsea as though it was a final, and said places were still up for grabs for next week’s European showpiece against Tottenham.

Amorim has prioritised the Europa League in recent weeks, and his approach has paid dividends with United reaching the final and a clash with Spurs in Bilbao on Wednesday.

But he said he would be monitoring players’ application at Stamford Bridge and that it would come into his thinking for the game at San Mames.

He said: “I know the starting XI I am thinking for Chelsea and then I will see. Even the way we play there against Chelsea, I will see it, and it will be important for the next one.

“The best [way] to prepare for the final is to play the game and then the players have to understand that if you play or don’t play against Chelsea, it means nothing to the final. That is important. I am just preparing for the game at Chelsea. That is my focus. We want to win and we want to perform.”

The boss has already decided his starting XI for tomorrow night’s game… #MUFC || #PL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 15, 2025

Amorim hints he will go strong at Chelsea

With five days between the trips to West London and the Basque Country, Amorim hinted he would select a strong line-up tomorrow to maintain the players’ rhythm.

He added: ”It is going to be a massive part, this game to the next one, so we need to perform and they need to perform. That is an important thing.

“If there is a player who has not recovered for this game, and [playing on Friday] would put him at risk for the final, then he will not play.

“But if it is not that situation, he will have a lot of time to recover. We cannot spend eight or nine days without a game before the final. That is a bad thing for the final. We will prepare [properly] for the game.”

We need to perform, admits Amorim

United have won just six of Amorim’s 25 league games in charge and were beaten 2-0 at home by fellow strugglers West Ham last Sunday.

“The best way is to face the game like we should face the game, it is to win the game,” he said. “We need to perform, to win points in the Premier League, and that is the feeling.

“We talked about that after West Ham. We need to improve in the way we face competitions and stay focused in every moment of the game. Against West Ham we had clear situations to score. In the first situation they have, they score. These details matter.

“The only way I know how to prepare a final is in the normal game for our league, we must play the same way as a final.”

The latest team news updates from Ruben are in! #MUFC || #PL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 15, 2025

Defenders Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro won’t be available against Chelsea but Amorim said there was the possibility some of them may be fit for next week.

Toby Collyer and Jonny Evans have returned to the squad.