REDLYUNITED: February 2016

Monday 29 February 2016

Manchester United to offer surprise youngster new bumper deal

Manchester United are preparing to offer young sensational striker Marcus Rashford a new better deal, according to Daily Mail.

The player's rise to fame has been geometrical. He made his debut for the senior team last Thursday in the Europa League meeting with FC Midtjylland. He was only confirmed few minutes to the kick off and he scored two goals that helped United's course of making it through to the next round.

He repeated his goal scoring feat against Arsenal neting a brace and assisting the third in the 3-2 win over the weekend.

According to the report, United are wiling to speed up contract discussion with the youngster and are ready to increase his salary from £1,500 per week to a whooping £15,000 per week.

This is primarily to reward the player and scare off clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City who have once showed interest in the player.

This former United player says he would never join Man City

Former Manchester United defender Gerard Pique has said he doesn't see himself playing in Manchester City because of his love for United.

The Barcelona defender joined United from the Catalan side as a teenager and later moved back as he was unable to break the Vidic - Ferdinand center defence pairing.

With Guardiola confirmed as the next City manager, the defender has been linked with a move to the blue side of Manchester.

He said: (Via Metro)

"My love for United is too strong to go to City.

"I don’t see myself in their shirt, even though Pep is a great coach.

"I’m very happy in Barcelona. United are my second team but my future is at Barca."

Marcos Rojo injury update

The Argentine picked up a knock in a challenge with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey. It was his first start in close to three months for United and manager Van Gaal thinks its not a serious injury.

"I don’t think it is serious, it was a kick. We have to wait and see, of course. It was also a good position that I gave him the first minutes to play. My plan was already 60 minutes. He didn’t reach the 60 minutes because of the kick. He said after the game. (Via M.E.N)

Hopefully it won't be one that would keep the defender out if the team for a long time again.

Manchester United 3 - 2 Arsenal : Three things we learnt

Manchester United raised hopes of a late challenge for the top four with a scintillating performance at Old Trafford against the Gunners despite fielding a seemingly weaker team. Injury to fourteen first team players means Van Gaal had to dig deep into the U-18 side, to get his complete squad for the tie.

In a match where both sides needed the three points, United showed more desire, hunger and were the best in the final third.

Redlyunited looks at five talking points from the game.

1. The academy and future of United on show

Despite spending about £250m over the past two seasons, Van Gaal has kept his job at United because the youngsters in the academy have shown immense quality this season.
Players like Borthwick-Jackson, Varela, Perreia, Lingard and most recently Rashford have shone like stars. Against Arsenal, it was the relatively unknown Rashford that stole the show, scoring two well taken goals.

Players like Weir and and Timothy Fosu-Mensah also came on and showed commendable composure and character.

If there is one positive from a poor United season so far, it is that the academy still houses some of the best talents in the country.

2. United crawling back into race for top four:

The win over Arsenal reduced the points between both teams from ten to seven. United are still fifth on the table, three points behind City who have a game in hand.

The win over Arsenal should give United more than three points. It will boost the team's confidence, especially the youngsters who may still have a part to play in United's current campaign.

All United need now is some consistency, four or five straight wins, and we may be looking at United in the top four.

3. Van Gaal passes sack the tests once again:

At the beginning of last week, Van Gaal was facing the sack. Three important matches in three different competitions, a defeat in any of these would be fatal to United's season.

But once again as he had always done, Van Gaal scaled through. This time emphatically. Wins over Shrewsbury, FC Midtjylland and Arsenal means the United boss has almost secured his future till the end of the season.

The LVGOUT rant has come down and everyone is appreciating him for giving the United youngsters a chance.

Manchester United 3 - 2 Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's reaction to Van Gaal's fall

The Gunners boss didn't have much to say about Van Gaal's camera fall in the game.

The United manager fell to the ground mimiking Alexis Sanchez while trying to get his point across to fourth official Mike Dean.

The United gaffer has since apologise to the referee for his actions and Wenger thinks only the Dutchman can advise managers whether to do that or not, while admitting he is a sore loser.

Speaking after the game( Via Arsenal official website)

When asked what he thinks about the fall, he replied:

"Nothing."

When further pressed on if managers should do that, he replied:

"You will have to ask him that question. I’m not one to comment on that because after you will say I’m a sore loser and I’am.

Manchester United 3 - 2: Player ratings

David De Gea: 6.5
Composed as usual. Didn't have much to do. Great to see him back in the team.

Varela: 7
Another impressive showing from the right back. Did well against Sanchez. Despite been yellow carded early in the game, he was calm all through. His cross led to United's first goal.

Michael Carrick: 6
All his errors are pardonable, as makeshift defender for the day, made some vital blocks and tackles. Composed after also been yellow carded early into the game.

Daley Blind: 6.5
Combined well with Carrick in the heart of the defence, though not in his commanding best.

Marcos Rojo: 5.5
Nice to see him start, but painful he didn't finish the game. Partly responsible for the Gunners first goal, other than that, made no mistake.

Morgan Schneiderlin: 7.5
Showed the fans why Van Gaal shouldn't have benched him in the first leg of this fixture. Provided the much needed stability and shield for the back four.

Ander Herrera: 8
Wonderful performance capped off
by a great goal. Had his grip on the game.

Jesse Lingard: 7
Assisted one of Rashford's goal. Good outing by his standards.

Juan Mata: 7.5
Another quality showing from the Spanish playmaker. Looked dangerous in his number 10 position. Linked the defence to attack well.

Memphis Depay: 7.5
Yet another good showing from the Dutchman. Enjoying his long spell in the team.

Marcus Rashford: 9.5
What else can you ask for in a striker, two well taken goals against Arsenal on your Premier League debut, plus an assist, he is the United man if the moment.

Subs

Timothy Fosu-Mensah: 7
Came on and put in a decent performance.

Adnan Januzaj: 6

Injected some pace into the United attack, had one or two nice moments in his short time on the field.

James Weir: Not rated.
Came on too late.

Mathematics is one subject hated by a lot of people for various reasons. But irrespective of our love or hatred for the subject, it’s one subject whose application is need by all in our daily activities.

But when blended with football, mathematics could be an interesting subject for the fans. Here RedlyUnited is blending Mathematics with football, hey not the hard part of mathematics as we know not everybody is a mathematician, but we’re just testing our basic mathematical knowledge, while also having fun.

So here is it. Our values or numbers are gotten from Manchester United player jersey numbers. And we add, subtract, divide and multiply these values to get another number, which will be the jersey number of another United player and that player becomes our final answer.

Example: Solve the equation: De Gea plus Fellaini

Answer: De Gea wears Jersey number 1

Fellaini wears the jersey number 27

Therefore De Gea plus Fellaini is 1 plus 27 which equals to 28.

i.e 1+27 = 28

And the jersey number 28 is worn by Schneiderlin.

Therefore De Gea plus Fellaini equals Schneiderlin.

SIMPLE AND FUNNY!!!

Now here’s today’s class work

That is square root of Valencia minus Jones equals

Answer coming later in the day

Have a productive day and week ahead…..

Manchester United 3 - 2 Arsenal: Wenger reveals why the Gunners lost

The Arsenal boss has praised the way United defended against his team as one of the main reason United won.

The Gunners lost their second game in a week to a Rashford inspired United side. The defeat further questions Arsenal title credentials and character.

The Frenchman thought the Gunners had the much of the ball but less of the goals.

Wenger speaking to the media after the game said (Via Arsenal official website)

"I felt that we had a lot of the ball and a lot of,possession. We favoured their game plan because we conceded two quick goals and at 2-0 down it is difficult.

"You have to take a gamble. I think the biggest regret was we had so much of the ball but we conceded three goals. It is difficult to win away from home after that."

He thinks United defended well and conceded a lot of free kicks in the midfield.

"I think they defended well. Every time we could get into the flow they stopped us with little free-kicks in the middle of the park and then we had to play again.

"On the set pieces, I think we should have done more with the free-kicks we had around the box and from the middle of the park we weren’t dangerous enough." He added.

The defeat leaves the Gunners third on the table, seven points ahead of United and five behind leaders Leicester City.

Manchester United 3 - 2 Arsenal: Arsene Wenger's funny excuse

The Frenchman thinks United still fielded an expensive side after his team lost to United to further dent their title hope.

United were missing up to fourteen (14) players including skipper Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling, Bastian Schweinsteiger and a host of others.

United youngster Marcus Rashford led the lines and scored the first two United goals.

However Wenger doesn't think his side were beaten by a cheap side.

Speaking after the game, he said:

"Let’s not got overboard. They had a very experienced midfield and spent a lot of money."

Wenger was probably referring to the likes if Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay.

The Long serving manager is also hoping his team bounces back on Wednesday when they face Swansea.

"We dropped three important points today. We need to bounce back on Wednesday night." He added

Thierry Henry states what he likes about United youngster Rashford

The former Arsenal striker couldn't hide his exictment about the youngster after his stellar performance against the Gunners.

Rashford followed up his midweek exploits by scoring two goals against Arsenal, which further questions their ability to stage an effective fight for the title.

Henry told Sky Sports

“What I like about him, obviously he’s scored four goals in two games, is his movement, the way he holds the ball, there’s desire there.

The Arsenal legend also praised Rashford's positioning and awareness.

"His awareness, he’s in the box, calm. His positioning is good. But he’s also doing the dirty jobs.

“It’s not only about the goals, holding the ball, awareness. Only he can now answer if he can carry on or not, but I love his all- round game." He added.

The young striker has scored four goals in three days and in two games. He made his debut on Thursday against Midtjylland in the Europa League scoring a brace.

He has followed it up with another against Arsenal, and will end the season as one of the few revelation if the current Premier League season.

Piers Morgan rates Arsenal players after Old Trafford defeat: One player scores zero

The big Arsenal fan took to Twitter to rate the Arsenal players after what looks like a disappointing outing at Old Trafford.

The Gunners lost to an understrength United side, in a defeat that further dampens their hopes of winning the title.

Here's Piers Morgan ratings of the Arsenal players:

My player ratings:
Cech: 8
Bellerin: 2
Gabriel: 0
Koscielny: 1
Monreal: 2
Ramsey: -1
Coquelin: 3
Ozil: 4
Welbeck: 6
Alexis: 3
Walcott: 2

Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan)

The victory brightens United hopes of making the top four.

Confirmed team news: Man United Vs Arsenal: De Gea starts Martial out

Starting XI:

De Gea; Varela, Carrick, Blind, Rojo; Schneiderlin, Herrera; Lingard, Mata, Memphis; Rashford.

Subs: Romero, McNair, Riley, Fosu-Mensah, Weir, Januzaj, A.Pereira.

Arsenal XI

Cech; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Coquelin; Walcott, Ozil, Sanchez; Welbeck.

Chris Smalling hoping to feature against Arsenal

The defender is hopeful of playing against the Gunners on Sunday. The defender missed the 5-1 victory over Midtjylland on Thursday and is is hoping to continue his good long run in the team.

“Touch wood, that carries on.

“I was disappointed to miss the other night( against Midtjylland) but I'm hoping to be okay to play this game. I've not really done anything differently to the other lads but, probably from about halfway through last season, I got on a good run in the team and I've just tried to carry that on from there. Long may
it continue." He told Sunday’s edition of United Review.

The United defender also revealed that he is an Arsenal supporter when growing up.

“I always look forward to these game.

“It’s no secret that I was an Arsenal supporter growing up, so this fixture is even bigger for me and especially given it involves two of the biggest teams in the country. I hope I can step out onto the field.”

Michael Owen predicts Manchester United Vs Arsenal clash

The former United striker has predicted a draw when both sides square up on Sunday.

The match is a must win for both sides, with Arsenal wanting to further strengthen their title ambition, while United will be hoping to get their top four hopes back alive with a win.

Owen thinks Arsenal are as good as been out of the Champions League, after their 2-0 home loss to Barcelona, but doesn't see them winning at Old Trafford.

He wrote in his column for BetVictor:

"The Gunners are all but out of the Champions League after their 2-0 reverse at home to Barcelona midweek and this is a massive game for the Club in their quest for the PL title.

"They haven’t won in their last eight PL visits to Old Trafford and might have to settle for a point against a United side who have gained fewer points (41) after 26 games than the club have gained in any other PL season."

With only ten (10) points separating the Gunners from United, a win will
reduce it to seven, and boost United hopes of catching up with one of the teams above them, depending on results elsewhere.

Michael Owen is predicting a draw..

What's your prediction?

Three things United must do to beat Arsenal on Sunday

After two confidence boosting wins against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup and FC Midtjylland in Europe, United now switch attention to the league with Arsenal in view. With both teams needing a win badly, Redlyunited looks at three things that could swing the pendulum of victory towards United.

1. Get physical and attack with tenacity

Generally the Gunners tend to struggle with physical teams.

Their last two defeats in the league have been to Chelsea 1-0 and 4-0 to Southampton. Two teams that combine physical football and attacking tenacity.

Hence to get the victory in this match, United must combine these two effectively.

Be ruthless in the final third, swing in the crosses, throw bodies at the ball, and draw the Arsenal defence to their limit. While the slow passing football United play is OK against some teams, against the Gunners, United must attack with speed, strength and pace. Covert defensive situations into attack with two or three passes and be accurate and precise in the front of goal.

2.Control the midfield and possession

Both managers for this game, are possession lovers, hence it becomes a battle of who wants it most.

Against Arsenal, United can't afford to lose possession cheaply, or become the second best in terms of holding unto the ball.

Midfielders like Carrick, Schneiderlin and Herrera must be on top of their ball keeping and effective distribution game. If the midfield battle is won by United, then the game is half won.

3. Stop Ozil and Sanchez effectively

The two players are Arsenal most creative and influential players in the final third.

With 17 assists and 4 goals in 24 Premier League matches this season, Ozil is statistically close to having a hand in a goal per match in the league, while Alexis Sánchez has 6 goals and one assist to his credit.

United must devise a method of cutting the ball supply to these two, prevent them from making long runs with the balls or settle into their normal stride.

Juventus reject mega bid from United for star defender

Juventus have reportedly rejected a bid in the region of £35m from both Manchester United and City for left back Alex Sandro according to Express via (Calciomercato)

Despite starting only eight games in the league for the Italian champions this season, manager Massimiliano Allegri holds the player in high regard and see him as Patrice Evra's natural replacement.

Having lost a lot of defenders to injury this season, United are keen on strengthen their defence.

Juventus value the player around £35m, and report in Italy claims Juve once rejected a bid from United for the player.

Confirmed: De Gea to return against Arsenal but star defender still a major doubt

The Manchester United is expecting De Gea to be back in the team to face the Gunners, but there is still doubts over the availability if Chris Smalling.

De Gea sustained his injury in warmup to United's first leg Europa League match in Denmark, and has missed United's last three matches.

Speaking after Thursday match, he said:

"I expect (David to return against Arsenal) because I saw the way he was today."

However same can't be said of Smalling

"Chris is a question mark, but you never know," he added.

Confirmed: Arsenal star to miss United clash

Arsenal will be without winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when they visit Old Trafford, manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed.

The Englishman collided with Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano and was substituted early into the second the half.

Arsene Wenger speaking on the winger said:

"He has a scan today, he will not be available for Sunday. He told the Arsenal official website.

In his absence Arsenal Will most likely start Theo Walcott , Joel Campbell or former United man Danny Welbeck.

Both teams will be going for a win, as a victory will boost United's title chance while United could resurrect their top four hopes with a win.

Speaking on Wilshere, Wenger said:

"He is not back in full training yet.

Defender on Gabriel could be back for the match

"He is coming back into the squad tomorrow, so we will see how he responds to that, but the signs are positive. He might be available for Sunday. Wenger added.

Manchester City once rejected United star Rashford for this strange reason

Manchester City once rejected Marcus Rashford because they thought the player was too short according to The Times.

According to the report Fletcher Moss Rangers, the man that supplied players like Welbeck, Borthwick-Jackson, Blackett, Zeki Fryers and Ravel Morrison and many more to United once approached City with the young Rashford.
He was however rejected because of his height.

The teenager became the star on Thursday when he scored two vital goals for United in the Europa League match with FC Midtjylland.

Sky sports pundit predicts Manchester United Vs Arsenal: Checkout his predicted score

Skysport's Paul Merson has had his prediction of the super Sunday clash between United and Arsenal.

He thinks Oliver Giroud will score the first goal at Old Trafford as Arsenal will beat United.

He wrote in his column for Skysports:

"Both sides have had European commitments in midweek but I'm not looking too much into that. I'm not sure their midweek exertions will have much of an effect and I see Arsenal coming out on top.

"They are the favourites with the bookmakers and I can understand why when you look at the recent form of both teams. Olivier Giroud is the man I'm backing to score first with Arsene Wenger's side enhancing their title claims with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford."

Paul is predicting a 1-2 Arsenal victory....

What's your prediction?

Five Manchester United fixtures get new dates

The date for Manchester United's FA Cup clash with West Ham has been announced, while five other United fixtures have new dates and time. Here's a rundown of the affected fixtures:

1. Manchester United Vs Crystal Palace

Previous date: Saturday 12 March

New date: To be announced later.

Postponed due to United's FA Cup engagement.

2. Manchester United Vs West Ham. (FA Cup sixth round)

Fixed date: Sunday 13 March at 16:00 BST

3. West Ham United Vs Manchester United ( Premier League)

Previous date: Saturday 23 April

New date: To be announced later.

4. Manchester United Vs Everton

Previous date: Saturday 2 April

New date: Sunday 3 April at 16:00 BST.

5. Tottenham Hotspur Vs Manchester United

Previous date: Saturday 9 April

New date: Sunday 10 April at 16:00 BST.

6. Manchester United Vs Leicester City

Previous date: Saturday 30 April

New date: Sunday 1 May at 13:30 BST

Manchester United to face Liverpool in Europa League: Checkout full United fixtures for March

Manchester United have drawn Liverpool in the round of sixteen of the Europa league.

The first leg will be played at Anfield on 10 March, with the return fixture at Old Trafford on 17 March.

Manchester United's fixutres in March :

2nd: Watford (H)

6th: West Bromwich Albion (A)

10th: Liverpool (A)

13th/14th: West Ham (H)

17th: Liverpool (H)

20th: City (A)

Man United have lost just one of their 9 meetings with English sides in European competition (W6 D2).

The full draw is as follows:

Shakhtar Donetsk v Anderlecht

FC Basel v Sevilla

Villarreal v Bayer Leverkusen

Athletic Bilbao v Valencia

Liverpool v Manchester United

Sparta Prague v Lazio

Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham

Fenerbahce v Braga

Europa League live draws:

Manchester United head into the draws for the last 16 of the Europa League knowing they can face anybody.

Here are the live draws as they hold

Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Anderlecht

Liverpool vs. Man United

Borussia Dortmund vs. Tottenham

Athletic Bilbao vs. Valencia

Villarreal vs Bayer Leverkusen.

Jamie Vardy names United defender as his toughest opposition this season

The Leicester City forward has named Manchester United's Chris Smalling as the toughest defender he has met.

The striker and his team have been a revelation this season, and are currently surprise table topper, with the title in their sight.

The striker leads the scorers chart in the Premiership and has memory of spectacular goals against teams like Liverpool.

Speaking at the launch of launch of Betfair’s ‘Acca Edge’ he said:

“On a personal level, Chris Smalling [has been my toughest opponent]. Via Sportskeeda

"He’s always tight and always around you to stop you from doing your bit on the ball or getting turned.”

“It makes it very difficult for you to bring your team-mates into the game as well.”

Both players faced each other when Vardy scored his record breaking goal - of scoring in eleven consecutive premier league matches.

Van Gaal hoping for Depay's revival after Midtjylland five star performance

The United gaffer is hoping his star summer signing can take his performance to the next level when United host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

"I'm very happy for him.

"You need these kind of matches and he played fantastic. He can play fantastic so maybe it's a turning point. You never know.

"I hope it is, with all my heart, but we have to wait and see. Arsenal is another level.

"I think he was fantastic. Of course, everyone has seen that. It was also spectacular, I think, to see and watch him but I hope he shall show
it also against Arsenal. As I say, it's another level but I think I'm very confident he shall do that."

The winger has been hugely criticised for majority of his performances this season but Depay put in a man of the match performance against Midtjylland with fans and manager hoping the performance can be a stepping stone to better and consistent ones.

Van Gaal was speaking after the game: via Official Manchester United website.

Manchester United 5- 1 Midtjylland: Five things we learnt

Manchester United staged what looked like their performance of the season so far, when teal dismantled their Danish opposition 5-1.

Redlyunited looks at five main talking points from the game:

1. Anthony Martial's injury: A blessing in disguise

The Frenchman joined De Gea, by picking up an injury few minutes into the game.

With news of his absence circulating, critics must have been waiting for United to lose, and Van Gaal get the media sacking again.

Few had started to understandably began to criticise him for starting the season with only two strikers. But after 90 minutes, most of his critics had joined in the praises of some United players.

Howbeit Martial's injury may have won United the game, allowing the likes of Depay and Rashford to take full responsibility of United's fate for the night.

His injury has been confirmed not heavy, and he could be back against Arsenal. Meaning he got a much needed compulsory rest.

2. A new star is born at Old Trafford

Before this game, only followers of the U-18 and youth team would have known much about Rashford. Young, Raw, strong hungry and talented.

He was totally unbelievable on the night. Two vital goals in your debut match against an European opposition is no child's play.

He now joins James Wilson in scoring for United's u-18's, u19's, u21's and the first team in the same season. He also joins Wayne Rooney as one of the few United players who open their goal scoring account for United on big European nights, with more than a goal.

Very sure this is not the last we would be seeing of this youngster this season. With United still in the FA Cup, Europa League and faint top four fight, he'll definitely get more chance this season.

But for now, he is one of the few positives of a poor season for United.

3. Depay could start a new United career with his performance on the night

The Dutchman on the night rose up to the big occasion, and stood tall to be counted. He has for the most part of his first season at United ended most games as a flop.

His performance on the night was arguably his best so far this year in United's jersey.

With United approaching a vital end to a turbulent season, next match against Arsenal: he could show United how new a signing he is.

United fans will be hoping to see a similar showing from him against the Gunners. With some little consistency, he just may lead United to one title.

4. A season for the Academy

The United academy is no doubt on of the best in the country and this season has testified to that again.

Though injury caused, here are some facts about the academy this season and in the night.

- 11 of United's 18 man squad for tonight are 23 or under, with 7 players from the academy plus 17 year old Poole who went straight into U21.

- Poole is the 14th academy player to be given his debut by Van Gaal.

- Two youth players start and five on bench...3,785 consecutive United first team games since October 1937 with youth player in squad.

From Poole to Joe Riley, to Rashford to Borthwick-Jackson and many more, the United academy has once again showed it effectiveness in supporting the first team.

5. All set for Arsenal clash

United must still give the top four a final fight, and what a performance, and scoreline to have before heading into a must win match with the Gunners.

The confidence level in the United camp must be sky high now, and that's what is needed to stage and effective fight against Arsenal.

With the Gunners losing to Barcelona on Tuesday, United with a confidence returning victory on Thursday, everything is set for a Super Sunday.

Europa League draw today: Checkout United's likely opponents

After knocking out FC Midtjylland 6-3 on aggregate, United head into today's Europa League draw as one of the dark horses.

All attention now switches over to Swiss capital Nyon for the draw.

At this stage of the draws, there are no seedings, or restriction of facing sides from the same country. This means United can meet Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham after both teams made it through.

Valencia managed by former United defender Garry Neville are still in the competition, and are a possibility.

Defending champions Holders Sevilla are still in and remains the clear favorite.

Manchester United have faced all but one of the teams remaining in the draws.

Here is a list of all the teams heading into the draws:

Athletic Bilbao (Spain) Anderlecht (Belgium)
Basel (Switzerland )
Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Braga (Portugal)
Fenerbahce (Turkey)
Lazio (Italy)
Liverpool (England)
Manchester United
(England)
Sevilla (Spain)
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Sparta Prague (Czech
Republic)
Tottenham (England)
Valencia (Spain)
Villarreal (Spain)

Draws hold today
Date: Friday, 26 February
Time: 12:00 GMT

The round of 16 ties will be played on 10 and 17 March 2016.

Anthony Martial's injury update

Van Gaal has revealed that the Frenchman suffered a a light hamstring injury, that made him miss United's victory over FC Midtjylland.

That striker became United's second player that would sit out a game after been included in the staring line up, after De Gea suffered similar fate in the first leg in Denmark.

His injury ended up being a blessing in disguise for United as his substitute Marcos Rashford, stole the show on the night, netting a brace on his debut.

Van Gaal thinks the young striker took the best decision not to force himself to play.

"It should be his first muscle injury (since joining United).

"But he is smart and wise to step out. It is not a rupture or anything like that. A tight hamstring. I don't think it is very heavy."

This means the striker stands a small chance if making the Arsenal game on Sunday.

Van Gaal also thinks fatigue could have caused Martial's injury.

"Anthony can be tired. He's only 20 and he's played all the matches so it's not so remarkable. He stepped down himself and that I like very much.

" He is very intelligent - he steps down when his hamstring is tight.

Van Gaal was speaking to BT Sports after the game. Via official Man United's website.

Luke Shaw hints at his comeback and dreams of Europa Finals

The injured Manchester United left back hinted on Twitter that he is close to his return, just as United are a step closer to the final of the Europa League.

Van Gaal had once disclosed that the player could be back for United this season, if United go as far as the finals of the Europa League.

The player himself got injured while playing for United in Europe, though not in the Europa League.

Here's what he tweeted:

Closer to the final, closer to my comeback 😝

2:41 PM - 25 Feb 2016

@ LukeShaw23

His tweet came after United knocked out FC Midtjylland to get into the round of 16, of the competition.

Paul Scholes praises special Rashford and sensational Depay after Midtjylland victory

The former United midfielder hailed United's all round performance of the night as one of the best in recent times at Old Trafford.

United were shocked when Midtjylland took the lead, but Marcus Rashford's brace and Depay's brilliance on the night caused United to score five goals, winning the match 5-1 and the tie 6-3.

The former United star was full of praises for both players and the United's philosophy of raising young players.

“It’s as good as we’ve seen at Old Trafford for some time.

“This club is all about bringing young players through. We’ve seen a special debut (from Rashford) and hopefully he’ll kick on from there." He said after the game on BT Sports.

“Tonight will mean a lot to (Van Gaal).

"He’s not been happy with the
performances. It’s a great confidence booster, the young players have been great and
Memphis Depay was sensational.

“To score five goals at Old Trafford is entertainment, and that’s what we want."

Van Gaal reveals what he told unbelievable Rashford at halftime

Manchester United produced one if their best performance in Europe under Van Gaal on the night. Memphis Depay and youngster Rashford were in the top of their games.

United manager Van Gaal has tell the media what he told the two goal hero Rashford at halftime. Speaking after the game, about the teenager, he said:

"Rashford was unbelievable, he was at the sidelines and I sat him down and told him he should be in the middle, he scored two."

Breaking: Martial to miss Midtjylland tie: Injured

Anthony Martial is out with
an injury and Marcus Rashford starts in his place.

Martial got injured early into warm-up.

More to come...

Confirmed Manchester United team news Vs Midtjylland

S.Romero; Varela, Carrick, Blind, Riley; Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera; Lingard, Mata, Memphis; Martial.

Subs: J.Pereira, Rojo, Poole, McNair, Love, A.Pereira, Rashford.

Midtjylland XI to play United : Andersen,

Rømer, Hansen, Bodurov, Novak, Sparv,

Poulsen, Olsson, Hassan, Sisto, Urena.

Breaking: Smalling to miss Midtjylland tie: Checkout United squad for the night

Manchester United will be without defenders Chris Smalling and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson for tonight's match against FC Midtjylland. According to Manchester Evening News.

The squad for tonight includes 18 year old Marcus Rashford and fourth choice goalkeeper Joel Pereira.

Here's the 18 man squad for the match:

Romero, Joel Pereira, Love, Varela, Poole, Rojo, Blind, McNair, Riley, Herrera, Schneiderlin,Carrick, Lingard, Mata, Andreas Pereira, Memphis, Martial, Rashford.

Sergio Romero: I'm always ready to play : Plus his best save at United so far

The United second choice keeper has been speaking ahead of the return leg of the Europa League match with FC Midtjylland.

The Argentine was called upon less than five minutes to kick off in the first leg of the tie, after De Gea's injury in the warmup.

Despite his low level of top preparation, he put in a great performance that kept United in the tie.

The goalkeeper recounted how De Gea got injured in an interview with United Review.

“I’m fortunate to have a very calm head on my shoulders.

“I always have to be ready and w iting for my chance to play. I was helping David to warm up, then when he went down injured I didn’t get the chance for a proper warm-up because it was only five minutes until kick-off.

“But a lot of my game is based upon how I feel mentally. If I feel good and relaxed in my head, it’s not a problem; I can play without a proper warm-up, as if I’d been out there preparing for half-an-hour.

The goalkeeper was a little disappointed that his saves didn't get United a win, but must be hoping United will seal up their qualification tonight.

“I would have liked my saves to have helped the team more, and for the team to have taken
something from the game ahead of the second leg here at home. Unfortunately the saves didn’t count for a lot as we didn’t manage to come away with that positive result.

He also admitted that his second half save against Paul Onuachu's header was one of his all time personal best.

“It was one of the best I’ve made in my life." He commented on the save.

“There’s another save, when I was playing for Sampdoria against Roma, which was a lot like this one. Maybe the one back then didn’t ask quite as much of me but it was very similar in that my movement was almost exactly the same.

“They were both very nice occasions and they are the moments that tell me personally that I’m totally prepared for whenever my manager needs to call on me.”

Arsenal star warns United ahead of Sunday clash

Per Mertesacker has fired a warning shot to Manchester United ahead of their match on Sunday.

Arsenal lost 2-0 to Barcelona at the Emirates stadium, almost crashing their hopes of progressing in the competition.

The defender has warned that his team are keen on returning to winning ways against United.

Arsenal trail table toppers Leicester by two points, and cannot afford to lose games.

United on their part are on a rescue mission. Six points behind rivals City, United stand only a slim chance of making the top four, and every game is a must win for Van Gaal and his men.

The German told Arsenal official website:

“We will go to Manchester United and we are in a good position. - We don’t want to give that up. We have a great chance to focus back on the Premier League and forget what happened in the last 20 minutes. (against Barcelona).

“Leicester City was a good game to make us believe we are still in it. You need to have little successes on the road.

We go step by step, nothing else. We have a great chance on Sunday to do that again and show that we can compete for the title.

“It helps we beat United last year in the cup. I think that was a great experience for us and it is still in our heads sometime when you think about big games and Old Trafford. It is going to be an interesting game so let’s not forget the positives from Barcelona and go there and give our best with the same effort.”

With the game a must win for both sides, it promises to be an intriguing encounter.

United must however first overcome FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday before facing the Gunners on Sunday.

Van Gaal holds crunch talks with fumbling United stars

The Manchester United gaffer held individual behind door discussion with all United players involved in the 2-1 defeat to FC Midtjylland, reports the Daily Mail.

The Dutchman interviewed all the players personally to sought reasons to why the team performed that badly on the night.

He spent close to twenty (20) minutes talking to each player. The meeting was reported to have started around 11: 30, and lasted into midday on Friday.

The team however responded with the emphatic 3-0 victory over Shrewsbury, and will be hoping for a similar scoreline against the Danish Champions.

Sky pundit predicts Man United Vs Midtjylland match: See his scoreline and goal scorer

Charlie Nicholas has voiced out his opinion and prediction for United's Europa League must win match with FC Midtjylland.

United surrendered a one Goal lead in Denmark to lose 2-1 and must now overturn the one goal deficit.

Charlie thinks United will edge out their opponent, by two goals. He wrote in his column for Skysports

"What we do know is they need wins and this is another must-win for LVG. Then there's Arsenal on Sunday where they can keep their top-four hopes alive.

"They've obviously got a lot of injuries and we're at a stage where they've just got to win this to keep their reputation in tact after the humiliation of last week.

"There's got to be a lot of anger in that United side and I'm expecting them to respond sufficiently to qualify.

Charlie predicts a 2-0 United victory and expects Anthony Martial to score first.

That's Charlie's predictions,

what's yours?

Here's what United will give Mourinho for winning the Premier League

José Mourinho will reportedly get £4m as bonus if he can lead United to the league title when he becomes United manager. This according to the Mirror.

The former Chelsea manager is the leading man to take over from Van Gaal during the summer. The Portuguese has stated his desire to wait for a perfect job, and that will most likely come in the summer.

The mirror had earlier report the Mourinho will earn £15m per season if he joins United.

Manchester United advised to forget about Neymar and sign this star instead

Manchester United have been told to forget about signing Brazilian star Neymar and rather go after Madrid star Gareth Bale.

United are in need of a big name signing to lift spirit at the club, and attract other big targets.

Despite once meeting the buyout clause in Neymar's contract, the Barcelona playmaker refused to move to Old Trafford.

Unconfirmed reports has it that the player is close to agreeing a new deal with the Spanish Champions, which would make it more difficult for United to sign him.

However a source close to both Barcelona and Real Madrid thinks Bale stands a better chance of making a switch to Old Trafford.

“United definitely need a player like Neymar. They haven’t really had a genuine superstar since Cristiano Ronaldo or David Beckham." The source told The Sun.

“There’s no doubt the interest from them is serious, and commercially they would make the money back on him if they met the clause. It all
comes down to whether the player(Neymar) wants that move.

“But United signing Bale is the more likely deal, and maybe it is time for him to move on from Madrid.

"Bale at Old Trafford seems a more natural fit."

This former Barcelona star thinks Mourinho is right for United

Former Barcelona midfielder Deco thinks his countryman will change United for better.

The former Chelsea manager has been heavily linked with replacing Van Gaal as United coach. With the United board exercising patience with the Dutchman, a deal looks more likely at the end of the season.

Deco however thinks Mourinho will bring United back to the high level.

“I think he will change them a lot.

"United need to back be at a high level and Mourinho is the man to do that. He will bring their confidence again, for the players, for the fans, for the people." He told Squawka.

Mourinho is the fans and media favorite for the yet to be vacant post, but it all remains with the United board to make the final decision and selection.

Manchester United through to semi finals

Manchester United U-21 side are through to the semi finals of the Senior Cup courtesy a 1-0 victory over Blackpool.

The goal came late into the second half, through Scott McTominay.

Recently recalled goalkeeper Dean Henderson captained the reserve side.

United now face Oldham in the semi finals, and the winner of that tie willface Everton in the final.

Van Gaal confirms: Rojo could feature for United tomorrow

The United manager has confirmed that defender Marcos Rojo would be on the bench for the Europa League tie with FC Midtjylland

He also confirmed that the player can play for United for not more than twenty minutes.

More to come.

Injured United star confirms he is back in training

Matteo Darmian has confirmed that he is back in training.

The defender suffered a dislocation in his shoulder in the match against Sunderland, and has been out since then.

He however posted on his twitter handle that he's back in training.

On the road back to training!! - @ManUtd
pic.twitter.com /gqbatZwcoU

@ DarmianOfficial

1:41 AM - 24 Feb 2016

His return would be a welcomed development for the injury ravaged United squad.

United star trio including De Gea miss training ahead of FC Midtjylland tie

The trio of David De Gea, Chris Smalling and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson missed United's training today ahead of the Europa League second leg. According to Manchester United official website.

The United goalkeeper was injured in his warmup training minutes to the start of the first leg in Denmark, and manager Van Gaal has said he could be back in time for the return leg.

Defender Borthwick-Jackson was injured in the FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury, and was substituted at half time.

The reason for Smalling missing the training is still unknown.

Van Gaal hosts his press conference later, and he'll most likely shed more light.

Good news: Injured United duo back in training

The duo of Antonio Valencia and Marcos Rojo are back in training. Both players joined the first team in training today ahead of the Europa League match with Midtjylland according to Sports mole.

Both players will certainly miss the clash, but their return to training is a highly welcomed development.

Both have been long term absentees from the team, and will definitely not return to action in less than two weeks.

Close Deal: United reach agreement for Portugal star

Manchester United are reported to have reached a gentlemen agreement to sign Benfica youngster Renato Sanches according to Metro via Record.

United have been scouting the player for a while and a move could be imminent in the summer.

With José Mourinho most likely to take over from Van Gaal, the Portuguese may sanction the move when he takes over.

United were close to signing the player in January, but Benfica decided to hold on to the player.

Sanches has just got his break into the Benfica first team this season, and is one of the most wanted youngsters in Europe.

4-2-3-1: My Manchester United eleven to face Midtjylland: Star to be back

Manchester United will be hoping to replicate the fine form they exhibited against Shrewsbury, when they host Midtjylland on Thursday.

United have fresh injury worries that will give Van Gaal some headache in his selection.

Van Gaal has confirmed that there is a possibility of De Gea returning for this clash, and hopefully he'll start in goal.

Smalling and McNair will be my centre back paring for this game. Varela starts at right back, while Blind moves over to the left back position.

Schneiderlin and Herrera had a nice outing in the FA Cup match against Shrewsbury and I expect them duo to start in the midfield for United.

In Wayne Rooney's continued absence, Depay starts on the left flank. Mata was the man of the march against Shrewsbury and he should continue in his number 10 position.

Lingard suffered a knock against in the FA Cup match, but hopefully, he will be fit enough to start.

Martial starts upfront as the lone striker.

That's my most preferred starting eleven.

What's yours??

United star admits: I have to grow at United

Memphis Depay has admitted that he has to grow up into the physical demands of the Premier League.

He has been hugely disappointing for United in his first season. After helping PSV to the Dutch title last season with 22 goals, much was expected from him on moving to Old Trafford.

He has however failed to reach that heights for United, and the player himself has now admitted he must adapt.

“The Premier League is different. It is way faster and more physical.

“It is a stronger league, I have to adapt. In the Premier League you are always going up and down.

“I have to grow at that and get experience.

He however does not think he needs more gym work to get into the physical state of fitness he is talking about.

“I don’t think it’s about doing weights in the gym.

“I think the core side is important for power but also fast movement.

“I am doing sprints, I am explosive. But to be really quick, it’s about timing.

“You have to be fast but also smart. The timing of your sprint in behind.

“You have to be clever and that comes with more experience.”

Depay was talking at the launch of Under Armour’s Rule Yourself campaign. Via The Sun.