Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet miss training for Athletic Club | OneFootball

Manchester United have received a potential boost ahead of the second leg of their Europa League semi-final clash with Athletic Club this week as key duo Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet were absent from the Spanish side’s training today.

The Red Devils hold a commanding advantage from the first leg in the Estadio de San Ames in which a stunning first-half blitz, aided by a penalty and a red card for Dani Vivian, left Ruben Amorim’s side three-nil up and Athletic a man down.

No further goals were added in the second half, though United came close on multiple occasions with the sense that a fourth would have put the tie firmly to bed.

The return fixture takes place at Old Trafford on Thursday night with success in the Europa League offering United the last chance of salvaging an otherwise dismal season for the club.

If the Reds progress to the final – which takes place in Bilbao on May 17 – they are likely to be joined by Premier League rival Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of the other side of the draw.

For the vast majority of professional football teams, a 3-0 advantage before the first whistle is blown, at home in front of your fans, would be a slam-dunk to progress. But Manchester United are no ordinary side.

United were leading 4-2 on aggregate at half time in the previous round against Lyon in the second leg at Old Trafford – close to a slam dunk for any self-respecting group of players.

However, Lyon proceeded to score four unanswered goals over the course of the second half and into extra time, to put the Ligue 1 side 6-4 up on aggregate and firmly on track for the semi final.

Then, in an extraordinary twist which even defies a club with a history of comebacks as rich as United, Amorim’s fired back with three goals in the final 10 minutes of extra-time to complete a ridiculous 5-4 win (7-6 on aggregate).

Harry Maguire’s last-minute winner constitutes one of the best moments in the malaise of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. But it also offers a timely reminder that this tie with Athletic Club is not over and United will need to approach Thursday evening as if it is 0-0, because a European side has already scored four times at Old Trafford this year without even playing particularly well.

Which is why an update from Spanish outlet El Chiringuito TV that Athletic’s star duo of Willians and Sancet – the club’s top scorer this season – were absent from training today will be a boost for United ahead of the season-defining match on Thursday.

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