Man Utd Vs Bayern: Miyazawa and Riviere Return in Question for Old Trafford Quarter‑Final
man utd vs bayern — Manchester United could welcome Hinata Miyazawa and Jayde Riviere back for the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter‑final first leg at Old Trafford, kick‑off 4: 00 PM ET, after both players returned to training this week and were named as in contention by the manager.
Match day team news and key absences
Manchester United’s manager confirmed a positive update in the build‑up: Miyazawa, fresh from winning the Asian Cup, rejoined training on Tuesday morning and is in contention to start; Riviere, absent for the last two matches, was also spotted on the Carrington pitches and is expected to be available for selection. Dominique Janssen will miss this leg after coming off at half‑time in the visit to West Ham; Layla Drury is unavailable because she is not registered in the squad at this period. Celin Bizet Donnum, Leah Galton, Anna Sandberg, Ella Toone and Ellen Wangerheim remain unavailable for the hosts.
Bayern have named a 20‑player travelling squad that includes Georgia Stanway, Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder, and also carries Momoko Tanikawa following her Japan duty at the Asian Cup. Bayern will, however, be without goalkeeper Anna Klink for the next two weeks with a torn muscle fibre. Recent Bayern absentees who will not play in this tie include Klara Buhl, Jovana Damnjanovic, Lena Oberdorf, Katharina Naschenweng, Alara Sehitler and Sarah Zadrazil.
Immediate reactions from the camps
“She’s fine, ” said Marc Skinner, Manchester United head coach, addressing Miyazawa’s sudden return from international duty. “[As] you’d imagine, on such a high of winning the tournament, [it’s] a fantastic achievement for them. It was a fantastic morning this morning, because the players put out balloons and a welcome‑back moment for Hini. But Hini seems like Hini, pretty normal – I’m sure there will be some effects, but she feels ready to go. She’ll be in contention to start the game. “
On other availability the manager added: “We’re one of these teams, we’re adverse to putting players under extreme risk. We do have a player‑centred approach, so if we felt that was any different [we wouldn’t put her at risk]. But Hini is in contention to start this game, feels absolutely fine, trained absolutely fine. She’s a hugely important part of what we do, so she’s in contention. “
“Dom misses out this one, we’re continuously assessing her. Jayde is back, Jayde is available to be selected for the team. It’s welcome to have Jayde back in the team, ” Skinner added, confirming Riviere’s return to selection contention.
From the visitors, José Barcala, Bayern Munich head coach, stressed the importance of key personnel and structure: “Pernille Harder is really important. A playmaker. For us it’s so important to have good positional play. She understands positioning better than anyone else and she is so clinical. ” Barcala also flagged the value of insider knowledge: “Lea Schuller will be important and hopefully knowing how they play will be an advantage … we have to be at our best. We are looking forward to the challenge. “
Quick context
This is Manchester United’s first appearance in a Champions League quarter‑final. United’s manager previewed the tie at a pre‑match press conference at the training ground, joined by former Bayern midfielder Julia Zigiotti.
What’s next
Selection clarity is expected in the final team list before kick‑off; managers will name their starting XI and substitutes ahead of the 4: 00 PM ET kick‑off. Man Utd vs Bayern will be decided over two legs, and the immediate focus is on whether Miyazawa and Riviere will be fit to start or play a part from the bench — this quarter‑final first leg at Old Trafford will set the tone for the return fixture and the next phase of the tie.
