Van Gaal Delivers Injury Boost

As expected, Michael Carrick will miss Sunday's trip to Upton Park as Manchester United take on his former club West Ham United, but he is the only real injury concern Louis van Gaal must contend with when he picks his team.

The club's 33-year-old vice-captain ruptured a calf muscle in training during the week leading up to the Leicester City match and was ruled out for a month by the manager. But while Carrick's quality is always likely to be missed, van Gaal will be pleased that injuries are again beginning to subside as his men enter a crucial phase of the season.

"We have only one injury," van Gaal confirmed to MUTV, "and he is doing well. He shall also return very fast I think, better than we expect maybe, but it is always [a] wait and see [situation]."

The Reds are third in the table, five points behind second-placed Manchester City, but a point ahead of Southampton (in fourth spot) and Arsenal (fifth). The clash with Sam Allardyce's Hammers, who themselves are flying high in eighth place in the league, is therefore another crucial fixture in van Gaal's quest to secure a top-four finish.

The manager's message to his players couldn't be simpler: kick on. Speaking at Friday's pre-match press conference, van Gaal reminded us: "I said that at the beginning of the week before the game against Leicester City, that this is an important week and we have to win all three matches. After we beat Leicester we were third in the league. After that, we beat Cambridge and we are in the next round of the FA Cup.

"Now, we have to continue and all of the players know that it’s true, but it’s not so easy because we have to play away in London against West Ham and it was a tough game in Manchester. It shall not be easy, but we want to continue. We have to win in London."

Van Gaal also responded to recent press attention on his team’s style of play, and when reporters asked whether his system fits the Reds’ traditions, he said: “Yes, I think so because it is not a question of playing with wingers or without wingers or playing with three defenders of four defenders. It is the playing style which is attractive.

“Okay, until now we could have played better in possession. We have unnecessary losses in ball possession and we have to improve that, but I think that we have a very good defensive organisation and also a very good attacking organisation. We are fourth in the goalscoring league and third or fourth in the defensive way of playing [goals conceded]. I don’t think we are very bad - we are very good but we can improve.”