We have a whole list of injured Manchester United players to give you updates on: Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Ayden Heaven and Jonny Evans, but first, what on Earth was that last night?
Seriously, the 5-4 win at home over Lyon, in the Europa League quarterfinal, which gave United a 7-6 win on aggregate in the tie, was bonkers.
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The entire match was worthy of The Simpsons’ Krusty the Klown “what the hell was that?!” gif. United blew a 2-0 lead in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
Then they were completely gifted a red card that pretty much every single person on social media who saw it thought it was a joke.
Better to be lucky than good, but despite playing 10 men Lyon with a full 11, they fell behind 4-2.
Second yellow to Tolisso for what exactly?? pic.twitter.com/ULenuSoudH
— RITS (@TheMessiforever) April 17, 2025
Only to finally triumph 5-4, after playing 120 minutes. It was “fun bad,” “winning ugly,” and “OMG! How did we win despite being so TERRIBLE?!” all at the same time.
If you’re a United supporter, well, you’ll take it! And now it’s on to the next one. Maybe a UEL semifinal berth isn’t deserved, but it is what it is.
WHAT EVERY MANCHESTER UNITED FAN WENT THROUGH AGAINST LYON 😂
ONLY FOOTBALL CAN MAKE YOU FEEL THIS WAY ❤️pic.twitter.com/itfy2eiBxZ
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) April 18, 2025
Anyway, on to the injury updates, provided by manager Ruben Amorim. Joshua Zirkzee (thigh) is now shut down for the season, with Amorim saying:
“So, he’s not going to play more this season.
“Let’s prepare him for the next one. It’s tough, especially in this moment.
“I think he’s improving in all aspects of the game, so it’s hard for any player to stop.”
So with Zirkzee out, Rasmus Hojlund it is, when it comes to leading the line.
Elsewhere for Man United, youngster Ayden Heaven (ankle/foot) won’t be available this weekend, but could return next week, or perhaps the following week.
“Ayden is out for this game,” Amorim said ahead of Lyon.
“He had a small issue in the same spot during training, a contact with a teammate.”
De Ligt (also an ankle/foot) is going to return at some point this season, Amorim confirmed: “Matta is going to return still this season… in the next few weeks.”
He also confirmed that Jonny Evans (lower back) has returned to training, so he should be back in contention soon. So that completes all the updates, meanwhile Lisandro Martinez, Tobias Collyer and Amad Diallo remain out.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter