Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal held his press conference a day ahead of schedule due to the club’s Friday evening encounter at Villa.
The game has been brought forward due to Manchester United’s involvement in The Champions League qualifiers and a rally which is set to be held in Birmingham on Saturday.
Here are the top lines from the press conference.
Injuries
The Manchester United boss has said that there are no new injury concerns ahead of the game with only Phil Jones out due to slight thrombosis in his leg.
He also suggested that Marcos Rojo is unlikely to start against Aston Villa due to a lack of match fitness after his participation in The Copa America, and subsequent late return to the squad.
Romero
The Argentina international looks set to keep his place in between the sticks as speculation about the future of David de Gea continues.
He also opened up about the future of Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez:
“He is second striker to Wayne Rooney. He knows that.”
And, for fans desperate to hear about potential signings before the window closes, the boss said:
“It is always our aim to improve the squad. But we won’t buy someone for the sake of it.”
“Our aim is always to improve the squad and when it is possible we shall do it.”
“I have said more than once that we only buy when we think a player can make a contribution to our squad.”
Louis van Gaal also stated that Adnan Januzaj won’t be sold:
“He is doing his utmost best. All the players are. I have no complaints.”
And that better away performances are key to United’s title charge:
“That is the key for success this season – we can improve.”
We shall keep you updated on further reaction and sound bites from the press conference as they come in throughout the afternoon.
