Louis Van Gaal has spoken about the return to fitness of a number of United’s key players ahead of Sundays game against Arsenal at Old Trafford. The Dutchman has confirmed that he expects goalkeeper David De Gea to feature following recovery from a knee injury.
Speaking to the Manchester United’s official website, Van Gaal confirmed that ‘I expect [David can return] because I saw the way he was today,’ Other player’s in the frame include Chris Smalling, Anthony Martial and Marcos Rojo.
‘Chris is a question mark, but you never know,’ stated Van Gaal. ‘I don’t know [if Martial can return] because it has happened before the match. I’ve talked with him. I have talked with the physiotherapist that already had control of him. I cannot say, but it is not as heavy as everybody thinks, but you never know.’
‘I’m very happy with Marcos that he played 10 or 15 minutes and how he showed already his form and shape, he was very good. But I have to build him up in the games and that’s not so easy, because he only had two training sessions with me. On the first day, he was with the second team and, on the second day, he was with us. So I take also a risk to do that, but I think that I have to do that now with 15 minutes and then 30 minutes and like that and I hope we can build him up.’
Despite this boost to the United squad and that they are playing at Old Trafford, for the first time in the Premier League era Arsenal are favourites to win. A clear indication of how far the Manchester club have fallen since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
