Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Europa League win can be 'stepping stone' for Manchester United; Harry Maguire fitness unclear
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Updated 25/05/2021 at 17:28 GMT
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is bidding to win his first silverware as Manchester United manager this week as his side face Villarreal in the final of the Europa League in Gdansk. United have lost four semi-finals since Solskjaer took charge and could be without captain Harry Maguire as he continues to recover from injury.
Solskjaer - 'We expect to win' Europa League final
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes winning the Europa League final could be a "stepping stone" for further success for Manchester United – but the fitness of captain Harry Maguire remains unclear.
United are yet to win any silverware since Solskjaer took charge of the club in December 2018, having previously lost in four semi-finals.
However, they start as favourites to lift the trophy in Gdansk on Wednesday when they face La Liga side Villarreal.
"These are big nights for us, it might be the stepping stone for something better to come," said Solskjaer.
It’s a bright future, this team is a young team, it’s a team we’ve rebuilt over the last few years. Hopefully, this is the start of something more.
"When players sign to play for Manchester United they sign to win trophies. They accept the challenge of being the best, because this is the best club in the world so that’s the pleasure of the pressure of Man Utd."
United could be without their captain and defensive leader as Maguire remains a fitness worry.
He hasn’t played since limping off against Aston Villa in early May and Solskjaer wasn’t giving anything away about his availability.
"Harry is just going to jog up and down the sideline a little bit, I reckon. And he'll probably try to join in," he said.
Defender Luke Shaw added: "Harry’s here, he's travelled with us. There’s another session to go and we’ll see how he is.
We’re hoping he’ll be available but the main focus is for the players who are out there to fit to enjoy the session today and be ready for tomorrow."
Solskjaer famously came off the bench to help United lift the Champions League in 1999 when he scored the injury-time winner against Bayern Munich.
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Asked what he had learned from that night he said: "What did I learn? Trust your team, trust your gut instinct, I’ll tell the subs that aren’t starting that they might have to play a big part from us. It’s happened before.
"Be disappointed, be angry with me, but be ready when you come, and whoever starts, make sure you enjoy it because you don’t play too many finals in your life.
"It’s always difficult to leave players out, but throughout the whole season, a final is a reward for what you’ve done the whole season, then if there’s a doubt between a couple then it’s the form in the latter stages.
"We’ll enjoy the last session and the players will get the team tomorrow.”
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