Van Gaal drops David De Gea for season opener against Tottenham
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea will sit out against Tottenham in the team’s opening Premier League fixture on Saturday as confirmed by manager Louis Van Gaal.
The goalkeeper, who has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid over this summer transfer window will not feature in the starting XI thus adding more fuel to the lenghty transfer speculations.
And Van Gaal has already suggested previously that the 24-year-old is likely to move away from Old Trafford. The Dutch boss has now confirmed that his ace shot stopper isn’t particularly in the right frame of mind because of which he won’t feature in the squad that takes on Spurs at the Theatre of Dreams.
"De Gea shall not play, so I don't have any concerns," said van Gaal.
"You know that we have problems with De Gea. The Dutch journalists can confirm that I think a human being is more than only a player and he cannot manage that."
New recruit Sergio Romero is expected to start the season opener in goal while chances of Victor Valdes, who has been made available for transfer after van Gaal stated that he “refused to play” in the reserves, are highly unlikely.
Since joining United from La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid in 2011, De Gea has made a total of 175 appearances and has been superb in front of goal for the 20-time Premier League champions.
Schweinsteiger not available against Tottenham
While van Gaal has claimed that there are no worries regarding injuries ahead of their Premier League opener, he has now been confirmed that Germany international Bastian Schweinsteiger isn’t fit enough to feature in the starting line up against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
The 30-year-old was brought in from Bayern Munich this summer for a fee of £15m and is one of van Gaal’s marquee signings of this season. Defender Marcos Rojo also won’t be available for the game as he is still short of match fitness owing to his absence from the pre-season friendlies after a hectic Copa America tournament in Chile.
"Schweinsteiger also came at the last moment so I don't think he's fit enough. We have to build his fitness.
"It is not possible for Rojo to be match fit either as he was the last player to come back from holiday," van Gaal added.
Ashley Young signs a new deal
Elsewhere, winger Ashley Young has penned down a new contract extending his stay at Old Trafford until 2018, with the option of a further year.
The 30-year-old arrived at the Old Trafford back in 2011 for a reported fee of £17m and since then has featured in a total of 115 games and scored 13 goals.
"I am delighted to have signed a new contract," Young said.
"The spirit and motivation amongst this team is very high and we are all determined to make this a season to remember."