MANCHESTER: Marcus Rashford travelled to Spain with Manchester United on Wednesday after training on the eve of the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla.

The 25-year-old pulled up holding his groin against Everton 11 days ago, with the club announcing he was expected to be out for a “few games”.

Rashford missed last week’s 2-2 first-leg draw with Sevilla and Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League win against Nottingham Forest.

The England forward trained with his team-mates at United’s Carrington training headquarters on Wednesday and the club later confirmed he was part of the 21-man group making the trip to Spain.

The squad also includes Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Marcel Sabitzer, who have been dealing with injury concerns of their own.

Bruno Fernandes is unavailable on Thursday as he serves a one-match European suspension.

United said Scott McTominay has stayed at home due to injury, adding he is “expected to be out of action for a few more games”.

First-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are unavailable after picking up injuries in the first leg against Sevilla.

Donny van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho also remain sidelined by injury.

England international Rashford, who has scored a career-high 28 goals this season, was injured in a 2-0 win over Everton on April 8.

United’s tie with Sevilla is in the balance after two late own goals conceded by United in the first leg at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils, who lifted the League Cup earlier this season to end a six-year trophy drought, face Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Sevilla were mired in a La Liga relegation battle but have been revived since they appointed Jose Luis Mendilibar as coach in March with the 62-year-old, who had never coached in Europe, getting two wins and a draw in his first three league games in charge.

Ahead of the second leg against United, goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic said he believes Mendilibar is the right man to lead the club to their eighth Europa League title.

Dmitrovic previously worked with Mendilibar for several years at Eibar, and in an interview on Canal Sur Radio, admitted the club had asked him about the coach before his signing.

“They asked me about him, and I tried to be as sincere as possible. I gave my opinion,” he said, adding that he believes “Mendi is a genius and everyone at Sevilla knows my opinion.”

“We know we can win [against United],” added Dmitrovic. “It is going to be difficult and it doesn’t matter how many injuries they have; the players who are going to play will give everything, so I’m not thinking about their injuries.

“There is going to be a great atmosphere in the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, but we all know it is going to be tough.”

ROMA EYE COMEBACK

Elsewhere on Thursday, Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma are relying on home comforts at the Stadio Olimpico to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg against Feyenoord.

Since 2017, Roma have only lost to Spanish

sides Real Madrid and Real Betis in European competitions at the Olimpico while they have not lost in 14 knockout matches at home during that period.

Fellow Italians Juventus are more comfortably placed following their 1-0 first leg win at home as they travel to the Estadio Jose Alvalade to face Sporting Lisbon with coach Massimiliano Allegri welcoming defenders Mattia De Sciglio and Alex Sandro from injury.

The other quarter-final tie between Union Saint-Gilloise and Bayer Leverkusen is tied at 1-1 ahead of the second leg in Belgium.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2023