Amad reveals toughest Man Utd player in training 'who treats it like a Champions league final'

Just a week ago, even the most optimistic Manchester United fan would’ve struggled to envision the commanding position the club now holds heading into the Europa League semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.

But after a composed, clinical performance away at Athletic Bilbao, the Red Devils find themselves with one foot in the final.

Athletic’s task was made tougher by Dani Vivian’s early red card, but even without that incident, United fully earned their 3-0 aggregate lead.

Casemiro’s smart finish just past the half-hour mark gave United the edge, and from there, Ruben Amorim’s men never looked back. The performance was polished, composed — the kind of big-match delivery fans have been longing for.

Now, with such a significant advantage, the biggest threat United face isn’t Bilbao — it’s themselves.

As cliché as it sounds, only United can stop United at this point. With Inaki Williams, Nico Williams, and top scorer Oihan Sancet all ruled out, the Basque club enters Thursday night’s clash severely weakened. But complacency has punished United before — and it could again.

The answer may lie in the mentality monsters they’re missing. In a recent throwaway comment to Sports Direct, winger Amad Diallo was asked who the hardest trainers at Carrington were. His answer: "Diogo [Dalot] and Licha [Martinez]."

He doubled down in an interview with MUTV, praising Martinez’s relentless intensity: “Licha is the most difficult player to face in training. He’s very strong in training — for him, training is like the Champions League final. He never trains easy, he goes stronger, so it’s harder to train against him.”

This isn’t just dressing-room hype. It highlights a very real problem United now face: both Dalot and Martinez are injured, and won’t be available to bring that fire when it’s most needed.

Their absence creates a void — not in quality alone, but in standards. United’s squad has several young, relatively inexperienced players, and without the likes of Licha barking instructions or Dalot pushing tempo, it’s easier for standards to drop.

We saw exactly that last weekend. In a dismal outing against Brentford, United surrendered a 1-0 lead to trail 4-1 before eventually clawing it back to 4-3. A fightback, yes — but it was a stark warning. Athletic Club won’t offer the same second chances.

That’s why Amorim’s real task this Thursday isn’t tactical — it’s psychological, reported the Manchester Evening News.

He needs to find his “new Martinez” or “new Dalot” — someone inside that squad who can demand excellence and prevent the group from slipping into dangerous complacency.

With the final just within reach, anything less than full focus could turn triumph into humiliation.

At this stage, United don’t need a miracle — they need maturity. And with the finish line in sight, they must remember that the biggest battles aren’t always on the pitch. Sometimes, they’re in the head.