Six Players To Miss Watford Trip

Louis van Gaal has a major selection headache ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Watford in the Barclays Premier League with no fewer than six players unavailable for selection.

During his exclusive interview with MUTV at the Aon Training Complex on Friday, the manager confirmed Anthony Martial and Michael Carrick both picked up injuries while playing for France and England during the international break, which rules them out of contention this weekend.

Wayne Rooney is ill and has been deemed unfit for action, while Antonio Valencia will miss out after undergoing surgery on a foot injury. Marouane Fellaini has not featured since the 1-0 win over CSKA Moscow and the Belgian is still injured, with long-term absentee Luke Shaw also on the sidelines.

Speaking to MUTV on Friday, van Gaal said: “I think that everybody knows Michael Carrick and Anthony Martial are injured, but also injured is Marouane Fellaini. That's a surprise because I thought he was recovered after the international break, but still he is injured. And that's a big blow because Rooney is ill, so we have a big problem, I think.”

Martial was pictured leaving Wembley Stadium on crutches in midweek and France manager Didier Deschamps admitted the player was “in quite a bit of pain”, although van Gaal is optimistic his no.9 will be able to play against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League next Wednesday.

“It’s not so heavy as everybody has written in the media, but he cannot play against Watford,” van Gaal told MUTV. “Maybe PSV for Martial but it's not certain, and I think Rooney shall also play then because illness is not something of many days. And Valencia, of course, has been operated on before the international break already, then Shaw, so we have five injured players, and that's a lot.”

In the press conference that followed his MUTV interview, van Gaal gave another positive update on Carrick: "Michael is also not a heavy injury, he shall be playing much quicker than everybody has written."

One player who may deputise for Rooney or Martial is James Wilson. The manager added in his MUTV interview: “Wilson is okay after the international break. He can play but he cannot play a whole match because he doesn't have the rhythm of the game.”