Van Gaal Facing Injury Crisis

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says youngsters will get their chance in Saturday's Premier League match at home to West Ham because his team is beset with injuries.

Defenders Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans have all been sidelined, while Tyler Blackett is suspended after he was sent off in the shock 5-3 defeat at Leicester last week.

New boy Marcos Rojo is therefore the only senior central defender available to Van Gaal for Saturday's match at Old Trafford.

"We have nine injuries and one suspension with Blackett," said Van Gaal on Thursday. "The younger players can have their chance now.

"All the three right-sided centre-halves are out, I don't know how long they will be out for.

"Evans is a very difficult one. His bone is bruised a lot and we have to wait and see, to evaluate it.

"Smalling yesterday ran out of the training session because he had stiff legs.

"We have to see what that means but I don't take risks with players.

"I have to admit that I have never been in this situation before (in terms of number of injuries).

"It is strange, for me it's difficult to understand. We are evaluating what we can do in a different way.

"But you have to train on a certain level because otherwise you can't play a game.

"I have already said I have adapted to a certain level but you cannot train lower because you then can't perform in the right way."

Versatile midfielders Daley Blind or Darren Fletcher could be used at centre-back on Saturday and Van Gaal also revealed that he is considering giving 19-year-old Paddy McNair his debut.

Asked if he thought blooding youth teamers could be risky, Van Gaal replied: "They are always ready, I think.

"They have hunger to play the game and Manchester United youth education has a certain level that can provide that.

"It's a big difference, but in one game you can show yourself."

United have made a sketchy start to life under Van Gaal and lie 12th in the Premier League table, with just one win from their first five games.

And they come into this game off the back of an incredible defeat at Leicester, where they were beaten 5-3 after leading 3-1.

Asked if this was the toughest job of his career, Van Gaal said: “At this moment, it may be.

"But we have to see in a year, not in a week when we have nine injuries and a red card.

“As a manager, you know already in advance that it's a big challenge.

"This club is in transition, we don’t know in advance when the difficult moments will be.

“We should have won last weekend and, if we had, we would be two points off second place. Because of the loss, you are questioning me.”

United’s defending at Leicester has been criticised in some quarters but Van Gaal says his own reaction to the loss has been calm.

“I don't think my players are robots,” he said. “They are human beings and human beings make errors.

“I am also a manager who always wants to evaluate and discuss things. That's the way I do things and I have done it, this week is no different.

“It's happened and it's about overcoming things.

“It’s not a regular occurrence. When you see our figures in the Premier League, apart from the last match, then we are defending well.

“The average is conceding less than one goal I think and we have scored a lot of goals. I think we are fifth or sixth (in that department). I see it differently to a lot of journalists.

“We will overcome things, the season lasts a long time.”