Man Utd Team News: van Gaal Offers Injury Update Ahead Of Liverpool Clash

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has given ManUtd.com a team news update ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Liverpool.

United welcome the Merseysiders to Old Trafford for the second leg of their last-16 tie and van Gaal has confirmed it’s still too early to start Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The midfielder returned from two months on the sidelines with a substitute appearance during last weeks first leg defeat at Anfield and the German ace also came off the bench during United’s FA Cup draw with West Ham on Sunday.

However, having missed over nine weeks with a knee injury, van Gaal says it’s still too early for Schweinsteiger to play the full ninety minutes against Liverpool tomorrow night.

Ashley Young returned to full training today following two months on the sidelines with a groin injury while Antonio Valencia continued to build his match fitness with a run-out for the under-21’s this week, but neither player is ready to start just yet.

Cameron Borthwick-Jackson also resumed full training today after missing the last three weeks through injury but van Gaal hinted the youngster could return to the first team fold sooner than the likes of Young or Valencia – although tomorrow’s Liverpool game will still come too soon.

The Dutchman told the clubs website:

“They are training now with us but you have to build up more than only one training session or two training sessions. For example, Young and Valencia are out for a few months so it is not so easy to come back and that you can adapt to the rhythm of this level.

“Yeah [it’s too early for them]. Too early also for Schweinsteiger [to start]. He has played two times 10 or 15 minutes, maybe he can play 45 minutes or 30 minutes dependable on the situation also on the pitch. I cannot say in advance but I try to do that of course. His impact was very big in the last game versus West Ham United and he was involved in the goal, I think. But, yeah, I have to cope with the fact when they’re injured, they’re not back at the moment they train one training session with you.”

“Ashley Young has been two months away but Borthwick-Jackson is another case. He has been about three weeks away so that is different.

“For every player, it is difficult after an injury to come back in the team and I give always the example of Marcos Rojo, who was the exception because I didn’t have other full-backs so I forced him to build up his capacity in the first team.

“He struggled, as you have seen, and I have given him 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 50 minutes, 70 minutes and then, at the end, 90 minutes, but he is now very tired yet he has to play maybe tomorrow. It is not easy for someone who has been out and maybe operated, so it is also a big transition for these kind of players.

“It is the same thing with Luke Shaw and with Wayne Rooney when he is coming back as he has already for three weeks [been in] a brace. You have to wait and see in the training sessions if he has that confidence to play a game or 20 minutes and that is difficult.”

Young, Valencia and Borthwick-Jackson will therefore join Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, Will Keane are Wayne Rooney in missing the Liverpool clash as United look to overturn the 2-0 first leg deficit from last week to try and book their place in the last eight.