Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao: 8 Players to Watch

Manchester United have made it a priority to take the UEFA Europa League Championship back to Old Trafford as a small measure of recourse for their ousting in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Injuries have plagued United all season, but they should not cause the club to have a weak side heading into their first home leg at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Athletic Bilbao are also looking at this competition as an opportunity to put the club on the fast track to a brighter future, as their talent pool is ripe with potential for the club to be great for years.

With so much riding on this first leg, both sides are gearing up for a tough battle.

Gaizka Toquero

Gaizka Toquero is the man behind the scenes for Bilbao. Although primarily a substitute this season, the 27-year-old Spanish forward has made a huge impact for the club in La Liga with three goals and six assists.

Two of his goals and one assist has come as a super sub, and whether Toquero is in the first team or named on the bench, he will be likely to have a touch on the result if the opportunity presents itself.

Paul Scholes

Veteran Paul Scholes has been sensational since he came out of a short-term retirement.

While both of his appearances in the Europa League have been off the bench, it would not surprise for him to make the first team to give the side a veteran lift from the middle of the park.

Scholes has shown that he is just as sharp on the ball as he was before he left, and since his return, he would be a key focal point of the Red Devils attack against Bilbao.

Markel Susaeta

Another young Spanish midfielder that is coming into his own for Athletic Bilbao is 24-year-old Markel Susaeta.

The player scored a brace over the weekend against Real Sociedad, as his great solo effort gave the club a 2-0 victory to move them into fifth place only a point off of fourth-placed Levante.

Susaeta is hitting his form just in time for the clash with Manchester United this Thursday. With three goals in his last two league games and an assist in his last two Europa League fixtures, the playmaker being up for it will be necessary for the club to have a chance against the EPL giants.

Ashley Young

Manchester United's newest wide player, having joined over the past summer from Aston Villa, Ashley Young has quickly become a key part of the Red Devils attack.

An injury time-off has seen the last few months of his career stiffed, but a resurgent performance against Tottenham over the weekend is likely to give him a big boost to hold his form going into the club's Europa League match on Thursday.

Young is as likely a goal threat as he is to create one. His combined total of six goals and nine assists in 29 total appearances is nothing to frown upon.

Javi Martinez

Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez is one of Spain's rising stars. The captain of his nation's U21 European Championship team was also one of the youngest players to have appeared in the 2010 World Cup.

Martinez has been a mainstay in Bilbao's lineup since he joined from Osasuna in 2006.

His height makes him a target man in the middle that has the controlled foot skills and strength to accentuate this ability.

The youngster can hardly be called such, as his experience in the first team since the age of 17 has seen him earn more time on the pitch than many five years his senior.

Between his tackling skills and his vision, Martinez is the key to producing something out of the center of the park for Bilbao, as his deep lying role is reminiscent of that once played by Xabi Alonso years ago.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney will continue to be Manchester United's X-factor for years to come as he is nearing the beginning of the prime of his career.

The Red Devils' leading scorer has five goals and one assist in his last four games including three English Premier League matches and the Red Devil's Europa league final leg against Ajax.

If there is one player that Sir Alex Ferguson will be counting on in the match, it will be Rooney.

Fernando Llorente Torres

Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente has been on the radar of multiple clubs for the last few seasons and with just reason.

Barcelona and Liverpool have both been recently linked with a summer move for the 27-year-old, according to Crunch Sports.

While the Europa League has only seen him score two goals, the Spanish international has notched another 18 between La Liga and the Copa Del Rey for a total of 20 goals in all competitions.

Last season, he scored 19 across all competitions after 21 in 2009-10, proving that he is more than capable of a continued solid performance year after year.

Llorente will be a deadly weapon for the Manchester Untied to keep at bay all night as the 6'5" attacker is an imposing figure to all defenses.

David De Gea

As the Red Devils get closer to having every match a must-win, the continued performance of David De Gea will be key to everything.

The young former Atletico Madrid keeper had a rocky start to his English Premier League career with Manchester United, but has looked a new figure of poise and confidence in the past several weeks.

De Gea is no stranger to Athletic Bilbao, having faced them in the past in La Liga, and that can only be looked on as an advantage for him.

Sir Alex Ferguson needs his newest man between the sticks to be on the top of his game for the rest of the season to ensure United get to challenge for their last two remaining pieces of silverware, the UEFA Europa League and the EPL.

Conclusion

Manchester United face a tougher opponent in Athletic Bilbao than I believe many will perceive.

The Basque region club has been raising their performance year after year in the last several seasons and are more than capable of pulling of an upset of the massive English powerhouse.

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