Weary Red Devils in ’feet-up’ mode

Van Gaal orders rest before date with Arsenal

LOUIS van Gaal is emphasising rest for his weary players today before they prepare for tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Arsenal following a taxing night in the Champions League against Wolfsburg earlier this week.

The Manchester United manager spoke of his concern at the club’s domestic and European schedules following his side’s 2-1 victory against the German side at Old Trafford.

“As a manager, you want to prepare on the pitch and you can’t do it because you need freshness of the players,” he said on Thursday.

“The solution is recovery, recovery, recovery, recovery. That is why it is so difficult to prepare (for) the match against Arsenal.”

Arsenal have an extra 24 hours to prepare for tomorrow’s match at The Emirates stadium, having played their Champions League game against Olympiakos Piraeus on Tuesday.

Van Gaal said there were no fresh injuries following Wednesday’s win at Old Trafford, but he said it would not be until today that he could assess the fitness of his players.

“Another solution is to change your squad,” he said.

“We’ll have to see how the evaluation is of my fatigue specialist.

“I cannot tell (now), we have to wait and see for Saturday [today] and I can make decisions.”

However, the Manchester United boss said Michael Carrick, who missed Wednesday’s Champions League game with what Van Gaal called a “minor injury“, would be available for selection against Arsenal.

The manager also praised the form of defender Chris Smalling and Ashley Young, who filled in at right-back in the second half against Wolfsburg.

He said of Smalling: “I help him with advice, demands, training sessions and showing images to improve him, but he has to be open (to it) and he has to perform on the pitch.

“He does everything himself. “The greatest compliment you have to make to Chris and not to me.”

Winger Young was brought on to replace Antonio Valencia at right-back during United’s victory over Wolfsburg, and Van Gaal said:

“He is very important. He is a team player in the first place. “Not many players are actually team players but he is always thinking of the team and he can play in a lot of positions. For a manager, it is fantastic that he is willing to do that,” Van Gaal said.

Meanwhile, Arsenal need to get over Tuesday’s Champions League loss to Greek side Olympiakos Piraeus and focus on getting three points when they host table-toppers Manchester United in the Premier League, the team’s defender Gabriel has said.

The Gunners are fourth in the league table, three points behind United after seven games and will look to get their season back on track after three defeats in last five games.

“We have to rest, work harder and then on Sunday come back and have a good game,” Gabriel told the club’s website (www.arsenal.com). “We just need to be calm. We have to work hard and focus on putting in a good performance (against Manchester United),” he added.

The Gunners have lost their opening two group matches in the Champions League and are bottom of their group, six points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who they have to play twice.

Gabriel said he was confident the Gunners can advance from the Champions League group stage for a 16th straight season.

“We can still qualify. We have a very strong team, with some very good players. We now have to try to win the remaining matches in the group,” the 24-year-old Brazilian said. — Reuters