Van Gaal Can Accommodate Four Creative Sparks

Louis van Gaal insists he can find space for four creative players in his Manchester United line-up as his stars return from injury to provide plenty of food for thought.

The manager has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal and continues to offer hints about his footballing philosophy and ideal system. His long-standing opinion is he can fit a quartet of predominantly inventive individuals into his side and still dominate matches.

"I have said already 10 years ago or 15 years ago that, at the highest level, you can put [in] four players who are mostly creative," he stated.

"I still have the same opinion after 25 years. Four is a lot, so when you call these players it’s like that and I have to choose. You can have in your selection [squad] more than four creative players but only in the line-up [can] you put four players. There is a big difference."

Van Gaal also stressed that he is not a fan of the word 'rotation' as his team selection is based on other factors. "I am always putting out the best line-up – not rotation. I can rotate because a player can be tired - then it is better to play with the other quality player."

Expanding further on how picks his eleven, he added: "I look at the qualities of my opponent, the qualities of my selection and also the mental situation of my players."