Man Utd handed new double injury blow before Europa League knockout tie | OneFootball

Manchester United's injury crisis has worsened ahead of their Europa League round of 16 first leg clash with Real Sociedad, with Manuel Ugarte and Harry Maguire ruled out of the trip to northern Spain.

Ugarte and Maguire both suffered knocks during the weekend's FA Cup elimination at the hands of Fulham and were both considered doubts for the midweek trip.

Neither player was seen during Wednesday's training session and their respective absence from the game was then confirmed when an 18-player travelling squad was named without them.

Teams are permitted to include up to 23 players in matchday squads in UEFA competitions, but it underlines the severity of the current injury crisis that as many as five places on the United bench at Anoeta on Thursday evening will be left vacant.

Alongside Maguire and Ugarte, both of whom would likely have started, United boss Ruben Amorim is without Amad Diallo, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, and goalkeepers Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton.

Chido Obi hasn't been registered for UEFA competition / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

Striker Chido Obi is also not eligible for the Europa League this season, with United failing to register him for their later stages – he'd not made his competitive debut when the list needing to be submitted and Amad was still fit at that point.

The silver lining is that Toby Collyer, the academy graduate in good form prior to suffering a January injury, has returned to the fold and is part of the group heading to San Sebastian.

But with a matchday squad so reduced in size, Amorim will have few options to call upon from the bench – three of the five available have made only 11 appearances in senior football between them.

18-player Man Utd travelling squad vs Real Sociedad

Goalkeepers: Andre Onana, Dermot Mee, Elyh Harrison.

Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu, Victor Lindelof, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, Harry Amass.

Midfielders: Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Toby Collyer.

Forwards: Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee.