By Betsefy
Manchester United have confirmed their 25-man squad for the group stage of this season’s Europa League, with Phil Jones and Brandon Williams notable absentees for the club.
Anthony Elanga has also not been listed, although the attacker qualifies for the B list due to his age, so the 20-year-old will be available for the Red Devils in the group stage.
The 20-time English champions will begin their Group E campaign against Real Sociedad on Thursday evening, while they will also take on Sheriff Tiraspol and Omonia in the section.
As expected, all six of Man United’s summer signings are on the list, with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka hoping to be given minutes in the competition following his arrival from Newcastle United on loan.
Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Antony are also included by head coach Erik ten Hag, who has overseen a turnaround in recent weeks.
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Man United opened their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with back-to-back losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, but they have now won their last four against Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester City and Arsenal to move into fifth spot in the table.
The Red Devils are back in league action against Crystal Palace next Sunday but will first take on Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Axel Tuanzebe and Facundo Pellistri are both on the sidelines for Man United through injury, but the duo have been included in the squad.
There is no spot for Jones, though, with the 30-year-old not currently part of the first-team set-up at Old Trafford, missing the side’s entire pre-season preparations through injury.
Jones, alongside Williams, has allegedly been removed from the first-team training-ground dressing room in order to make way for the club’s new signings.
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The Englishman spent almost two years on the sidelines with a knee injury between January 2020 and January 2022, which has seen his career stall.
Jones made five appearances for Man United last season, including four outings in the Premier League, but he is in the final year of his deal at Old Trafford and is expected to leave next June.
Williams, meanwhile, has made 50 first-team appearances for the Red Devils, but he spent last season on loan at Norwich City in the Premier League, making 29 appearances.
The 24-year-old still has two years left to run on his deal but is seemingly not in the plans of head coach Ten Hag moving forward, with Malacia and Luke Shaw both ahead of him in the pecking order for left-back, and Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in terms of the right-back spot.
Cristiano Ronaldo had pushed to leave Man United over the summer in order to continue playing in the Champions League, but the 37-year-old will play in the Europa League this term.
Man United Europa League squad: De Gea, Heaton, Dubravka; Dalot, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Maguire, Lindelof, Tuanzebe, Malacia, Shaw; Casemiro, McTominay, Fred, Eriksen, Van de Beek, Fernandes; Pellistri, Antony, Rashford, Sancho, Martial, Ronaldo, Garnacho
