Premier League Preview: Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur

According to the Daily Star, the 22-year-old Johnstone – who has never played in a Premier League match – is expected to be one of the candidates for Louis van Gaal’s starting XI against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

De Gea has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid.

However, Van Gaal has not stated that De Gea’s absence from the squad is as a result of him making his departure, but rather due to the talk around his potential transfer having impacted his morale, with the manager telling the press: “I don’t know the solution with De Gea, that is the process”.

Sam Johnstone, the third- or fourth-choice keeper, played 206 minutes and did well.

The 27 year old Argentine forced his way out of Old Trafford, after going AWOL during United’s USA pre-season tour, bringing his disappointing one-season spell to an end. Promising youngster Depay may also be in line for a start but van Gaal may opt for a conservative approach for one the Premier League’s most precocious young talents.

“It is not easy for him to manage his situation now”.

The Dutch manager has now turned to Barcelona’s Pedro to replace the former Real Madrid winger at the club to boost the performance of his side as they begin their EPL campaign on Saturday. I think the human being is more than only the player and I don’t think he can manage that.

“He shall not play, so I don’t have any concerns”. Van Gaal has ruled out David de Gea and will start newly signed goalie Sergio Romero.

United have retained a firm stance on De Gea all summer, insisting he will not be sold to the Spanish giants unless they receive Sergio Ramos in return.

Angel di Maria watched Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 opener after clinching his transfer from Manchester United. Valdes and Van Gaal frequently fell out when they worked together at Barcelona so it’s no surprise that the same thing happened in Manchester.

“So Di Maria, okay, we have solved that problem before the competition starts but for us it is a big loss. The spirit and motivation among this team is very high and we are all determined to make this a season to remember”.