Manchester United

On how close he thinks Manchester United are to being higher up the Premier League table, head coach Ruben Amorim said:

"It is hard to talk about that without looking like a crazy guy but if you see the xG in the recent games, ours is bigger.

"Against Wolves we were so near and they score a goal from a set-piece. It was the first time they reached our goal and they score. Then we had opportunities, especially in the second half.

"I can understand that and manage that but it is hard to talk about that in this moment. Let’s focus on finishing in a good way and then we will prepare for the future at the end of the season."

Manchester United

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim was asked how Friday's Premier League game will help in terms of preparation for next Wednesday's Europa League final:

"The best way is to face the game like we should face the game, it is to win the game. 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."

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport

Quite intrigued by Ruben Amorim saying Manchester United players can still earn a spot for the Europa League final.

United fans, who's already in the starting XI and who might have an outside chance of involvement that you'd love to see selected by Amorim?

Same question for Spurs, too.

Manchester United

On whether he's concerned players will be worried about getting injured on Friday, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said: "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."

Manchester United

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said that Friday's team selection will have no bearing on Wednesday's Europa League final:

"We have to try to recover. 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."

On how close Friday’s team will be to that for the final, Amorim replied: "I don’t know. 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."

Amorim added that players still have the chance to earn a place for next week's European showpiece against Tottenham.

Joe Rindl
BBC Sport

Where to next? I think Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media as well.

Let's briefly focus on Tottenham's Europa League final opponents, Manchester United...

Tottenham Hotspur

There was quite a lot to take in during Ange Postecoglou's news conference, so here are some links to the top lines:

• Dejan Kulusevski will be out for "a few months" as he recovers from knee surgery
• "Unlikely" Lucas Bergvall will be available any time soon as he takes first steps back in training following a foot injury
• The Tottenham boss says he will put out a team against Aston Villa he thinks will be capable of "getting the job done"
• Villa game is an "opportunity" for players to stake a claim for a place in the Europa League final line-up
• Son Heung-min will definitely play "at least half the game" against Aston Villa on Friday

Dejan Kulusevski's season-ending injury coincided with a new low for Tottenham - their 2-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday took their tally to 20 Premier League defeats this season, a new record for the club.

Their previous record for Premier League defeats in a single season was 19 - in both 1993-94 and 2003-04.

They are currently 17th in the table, on 38 points.

Tottenham's worst ever finish in a Premier League season, when there have been 20 teams in the division, is 14th, in 1997-98 and 2003-04.

The 1997-98 season also saw them finish with their lowest ever Premier League total of 44 points.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur

A final word from Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on his sadness for players who will miss the Europa League final with injury: "Gutted for him [Kulusevski], gutted for Lucas [Bergvall] and Madders [James Madison] and Radu [Dragusin]. All four of those it is not like a muscle injury, it is just circumstance. Stuff that probably happens every football game but doesn't have the damage. Unfortunately for them it came at the wrong time of the year."

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on Son Heung-min: "He will definitely play tomorrow, whether we start with him or not we will have a look at. But he definitely reacted well to playing the other day.

"There were no issues with his foot and he has trained well. It makes sense for him to get more match minutes. That could be as a starter but if not he will definitely play at least half a game tomorrow."

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on the disappointment players feel at seeing their team-mates pick up injuries: "We have pretty much been without some of our key players for the whole season. There hasn't been a time when we have had a three or four-week spell with our strongest line-up, or at least been fairly settled.

"The boys are sort of getting on with it. They are disappointed for the people involved, [Kulusevski] being the latest one, because he had a fantastic first part of the year for us and was just working his way back into it.

"At the same time, as I keep saying to the group all along, you can't pick or choose when these opportunities come along. There could be other years when we don't have these disruptions, don't have these injuries, but we don't get to a final, so the reality of it is now that the opportunity is there and whatever happens between now and then we have got to make sure we are ready for it."

Image source, Getty Images

It is no doubt that Tottenham's injured midfielders James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski will be a big miss for their Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May.

Spurs have won all three previous matches against United this season, and both Maddison and Kulusevski not only started those games but had starring roles.

Maddison scored the only goal in Spurs' home league win on 19 February, while Kulusevski scored in both their 4-3 victory in the EFL Cup quarter-finals and a 3-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League in September.

Lucas Bergvall, who is also a doubt for the Europa League final, also played in all three wins against United this season.

Tottenham Hotspur

More from Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on why the Aston Villa game is an opportunity for players to stake a claim for a place in the Europa League final line-up: "This is a challenge for the players. They have got to seize the opportunity that is before them in the game tomorrow.

"Obviously, we want to try to perform well and pick up a result, but also it's an opportunity for them to put their name forward for the big game the following week because, as we have already seen in the past couple of weeks, as much as you would like to think there is an ideal starting line-up things happen and players have to be ready for that.

"Tomorrow night is an opportunity for those guys to sort of put their hand up."

Tottenham Hotspur

Ange Postecoglou on whether he will rest players against Aston Villa, considering Tottenham play in the Europa League final on Wednesday: "No, we are are certainly going to go out there to try to win the game tomorrow and put out a team that hopefully gets that job done."

On whether he was worried about protecting the integrity of the Champions League race: "I'm not sure about the integrity. There have been times this year when we have had to field weakened teams because of injury. Does that affect integrity? So, if people are thinking there is some sort of competitive balance that exists or doesn't exist over the course of a season, I would be very surprised if people were questioning our integrity to try and win a game of football tomorrow.

"I will put a team out that I think will do its best to win a game of football, yes."

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on Lucas Bergvall's injury and his expected recovery, following reports he had been training with the team: "It is still the same sort of timeframe. It was never going to be a long-term one but he has literally just got out of the boot and taking his first tentative steps on the grass, but it's unlikely he will be...well, he won't be available."

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou on his side's luck with injuries: "It's just reflective and consistent with everything else that has happened this season. We just haven't had a smooth run of things. Every time we look like we are getting to a place where we are looking in decent shape squad-wise, invariably we have been hit.

"The last few weeks again, it's just circumstances that have happened probably in the one area of the park."

The news on Dejan Kulusevski followed a season-ending injury for playmaker James Maddison.

Tottenham Hotspur

Postecoglou says he's gutted for Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, and James Maddison.