Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho on BT Sport: "We tried our best to focus on the game, it is our job. We are ready for it. Not with the same happiness, the happiness that a great moment like this normally brings. From a professional point of view we are ready.

"I was pushed to choose Chris Smalling and not Phil Jones because he recovered from injury one week quicker. Juan Mata is in, it is important to start with experience and a brain and then go to speed and freshness."

Phil Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Radio 5 live

The centre-back partnership of Smalling and Blind worry me. They are untried and untested as a team. I think that is the area where this Manchester United side will have to perform at their absolute best to win this final.

Phil Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Radio 5 live

For me it doesn't feel right to be here. It's a big night for Manchester United but in reality it is just football.

These Man United supporters aren't singing, they look subdued, they are all sat down and they look and feel just like we do.

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Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Friends Arena, Stockholm

Juan Mata's Manchester United future was the subject for debate when Jose Mourinho was appointed manager because he sanctioned his switch to Old Trafford while in charge at Chelsea.

Not any more - Mata has become one of Mourinho's key men this season through strength of performances and his exemplary attitude and he starts the Europa League final here in Stockholm tonight.

Phil Neville
Former Manchester United defender

Image source, Getty Images

What Peter Bosz's team do well is play a high-tempo game - they like to press and win the ball back early.

To counter that, United have to be really brave and mirror the approach they had when they beat Chelsea at Old Trafford in April.

They tore out of the blocks in that game and went toe to toe with Antonio Conte's side. They were positive and they put the champions under pressure, and never allowed them to settle.

United played on the front foot that day and used the speed of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford to pester Chelsea. The energy in midfield of Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba overpowered them.

If they do the same again, I don't think Ajax will be able to cope.

Image source, PA

Just to get things crystal clear:

The winners tonight of course win the Europa League trophy.

They also get a place in the group stage of next season's Champions League.

That is hugely significant because while Ajax already have a place in the qualifiers for the competition, Manchester United will miss out altogether if they lose tonight.

Phil Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Radio 5 live

When I was a player with Manchester United, we had just landed in Greece to play Panathinaikos and it was the day the two planes flew into the Twin Towers in New York in 2001.

As we saw those pictures on the telly, I can tell you now, there was no way in the world one of those players wanted to play football that night and that wasn't even our city - that was the other side of the world.

So imagine what the Manchester United players are thinking now because it's happened in our city.

But they have to be professional. When you come to a final, you want to remain calm but no. Tonight, play with emotion, play with your heart and do everything you can for those victims that died so tragically on Monday.

Kyle Utterson: After what has happened in Manchester it's just a game and meaningless. It would be fitting if United won though.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer at Friends Arena, Stockholm

The big screens inside Stockholm's Friends Arena have just shown some moments of Ajax's rich history - and needless to say the goals of Johan Cruyff featured prominently, drawing huge cheers from their fans.

A true all-time great...and Manchester United have had a few of their own too.

We'll be hoping for goals at the Friends Arena in Stockholm tonight, just like some of these corkers from the finals of the FA People's Cup....

You can catch all the action and follow stories of the people who took part in this year's People's Cup in the highlights programme on BBC One at 2.05pm on Saturday, 27 May - as part of the build-up to the FA Cup final.

Image source, #bbcfootball

Love him, or loathe him, Jose Mourinho knows how to get results. And his record in major finals may be a good omen for Manchester United fans...

The Portuguese boss has won all three of his European finals so far - the 2003 Uefa Cup and 2004 Champions League with Porto, and the 2010 Champions League with Inter Milan.

Including domestic competition, Mourinho has been in 13 finals - and won 11 of them.

And five of them have gone into extra-time. Prepare for a long night...

Phil Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Radio 5 live

With this Ajax team who are quick and nimble, I thought he would need the mobility of Jones and the speed of Jesse Lingard but he has gone with the player he likes in Juan Mata.

Robbie Savage
Ex-Leicester City & Wales midfielder in Stockholm

I would have chosen to play David de Gea in goal. I would have thought he would have gone with his best side and David de Gea is Manchester United's best goalkeeper.

I think Ajax will have more of the ball tonight and Man United will sit back and therefore I would have also gone with Martial rather than Mata for those moments on the counter.

Let's just make a note of that for later on. Joel Veltman's wife dreamt that he would score the last-minute winner.

BBC World Service

Ajax defender Joel Veltman had a natter with BBC World Service Sport's Steve Crossman this week, and said "I feel like a grandpa and I'm 25."

That's because this Ajax team is so young, of course.

Ajax haven’t won a European trophy since 1995, that’s too long isn’t it?

"Yeah it’s too long, I can't even remember it. I only saw it on YouTube or something, it’s been like 20 years and I was only four or five."

Can you hold on to your young stars?

Yes, of course we have couple of players who are thinking about a transfer but if we stick with each other we can make it to be champions (of the Netherlands) and if we win the Europa League we’ll be in the Champions League.

Have you dreamed of lifting that trophy?

"Yeah of course, my wife had a dream that I score the winning goal in the last minute, then my friend dreamed it too... two people had the same dream, that's fate man."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, EPA

Ajax make one change from their semi-final second leg and it comes in defence where Jairo Riedewald replaces the suspended Nick Viergever. Justin Kluivert, Patrick's son, is on the bench.

Matthijs de Ligt, at the age of 17 years, 285 days, is the youngest palyer to feature in a major European final. In fact, at an average of 22 years and 280 days, this is the youngest XI ever to start a major European final.

Ajax: Onana, Veltman, Riedewald, Sanchez, De Ligt, Klaassen, Younes, Schone, Ziyech, Dolberg, Traore.

Subs: Boer, Tete, Westermann, De Jong, Van de Beek, Kluivert, Neres.

Image source, EPA

Manchester United make two changes from their semi-final second leg. Juan Mata comes in to midfield in place of Jesse Lingard. At the back, Chris Smalling starts in place of teh suspended Eric Bailly.

Marcus Rashford leads the line, supported by Henrikh Mkhitaryan from midfield.

Antonio Valencia is captain with Wayne Rooney on the bench.

Man Utd XI: Romero, Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Darmian, Herrera, Fellaini, Mata, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Rashford.

Subs: De Gea, Jones, Rooney, Martial, Lingard, Carrick, Fosu-Mensah.