The revamped formats of both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League have forced clubs to carefully manage player workloads due to the increased number of matches in a season. Amid this challenge, Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim has shared why he believes the Europa League presents a greater challenge than the Champions League.
United traveled to Spain to face Real Sociedad in the Europa League Round of 16, starting the match strongly by scoring the opening goal. However, in the final 20 minutes, the team struggled to maintain its intensity, with Amorim admitting that his players were exhausted and that a lack of squad depth hurt their ability to close out the game.
“The biggest problem is not having all the players. In the beginning people talked about our rotation, specially in Europe where we were changing all the time. It was because of this,” Ruben Amorim said in the post-match press conference.
He then explained what makes the competition so demanding: “Europa League is so much harder than Champions League. Not the games, but the recovery to play Premier League on the weekend, and we have to deal with that.”
United have faced significant challenges in squad management, with injuries and fixture congestion taking a toll on player fitness. First, multiple injuries depleted the squad, leaving limited options on the bench. Then, the 120-minute FA Cup battle against Fulham drained the team further, affecting their performance against Real Sociedad.
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Now, the Red Devils must shift focus to Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Arsenal, with just two days of rest before the crucial domestic fixture. This tight turnaround has only reinforced Amorim’s concerns about the Europa League’s demanding schedule, despite it being Europe’s second-tier club competition.
Injury concerns and squad depth issues
One of the most telling differences between the two teams in San Sebastian was the disparity in squad depth. Real Sociedad had 12 substitutes, while Manchester United had just seven, with Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof being the only outfield players over 22 years old.
With nine senior players sidelined due to injury, United are entering a crucial stretch of the season without key squad members. Amorim provided an update on possible returns:
“I hope to have Amad (Diallo) back before the end of the season. Lisandro (Martinez) is out. We have to be careful with (Harry) Maguire. Kobbie (Mainoo) and Manuel (Ugarte) could return, and I think Luke Shaw and Mason Mount can come back too—especially Mount,” Amorim stated.
