Louis van Gaal may wait until December before deciding if James Wilson should go on loan, as the Manchester United manager believes the striker may be needed until then.

After the close of the summer transfer window Wilson had been ready to join a Championship club on a temporary basis. The manager wanted him to do so for the 19-year-old to have regular game time to aid his development.

But Van Gaal has since changed his mind. “He is the natural successor of [Anthony] Martial but I think he needs to play. But Manchester United’s interests are always higher than individual interests so I have doubts to let him go,” the 64-year-old said. “Maybe we have to wait until December to know how it is with our club – if we are succeeding in the Champions League, the Capital One Cup, because maybe he shall receive minutes off me because I have to rotate.

“You have seen what I have done against Ipswich Town [making six changes]. It can be done also in the other matches, so I have talked with him and I think that we wait until December.”

Luke Shaw is beginning his rehabilitation from a doubly fractured leg in positive fashion. After speaking to the left-back on Thursday, Van Gaal said: “He was very positive which is amazing for me. It’s a very good signal. We have started the rehabilitation. He shall be visited at home firstly for electro muscle stimulants.”

Regarding Martial, who has scored four times in his first three domestic appearances, the manager said: “It is a little bit of luck but of course the main thing is his quality. As a player he has to do it and he has to cope with the pressure. What we have seen until now, he can do it.”

“His personality is that he is an open guy, he is listening, he is watching, he is focusing on the matches. For a manager he is a very coachable player. That is also why I bought him.”