Wayne Rooney has been passed fit for Manchester United’s game at Everton on Saturday.
The England captain missed their games against Estonia and Lithuania because of an ankle problem but Louis van Gaal says Rooney will be fit to play against his former club at Goodison Park on Saturday. “Ashley Young is injured. He cannot play but Wayne Rooney can play,” the United manager said.
Van Gaal said that having to stew over Manchester United’s 3-0 loss at Arsenal during the international break was awful and the situation cannot happen again if his side want to be champions.
United conceded all three goals at the Emirates in the opening 19 minutes, when they were overrun in midfield. As his players flew out immediately after the match on 4 October to join up with their national squads, the Dutchman had to wait 10 days until they returned to offer his analysis.
His side also lost at Swansea City before the previous international break and Van Gaal said: “These are awful weeks because you’re constantly thinking about how it happened. You cannot manage it with your players, which is what you have to do as a manager, because all the players are flying out directly after the match.
“And then they’re coming back on Wednesday and also yesterday, [Sergio] Romero and [Antonio] Valencia came after the training sessions, so they could not participate in our meetings before the game against Everton. It’s difficult for me and then I have to speak about the match against Arsenal still. You have to learn from it and improve.”
Van Gaal is clear that the manner of the display at Arsenal must not be repeated. “It’s the most important question. We are always evaluating ourselves and we cannot accept it,” he said. “We cannot accept it, not only members of staff but the players. We can’t accept it from each other because we want to be the champion and then you have to behave like a champion. So we have to improve.
“I have to evaluate myself and how I prepared. For example, I have changed the sequence of the preparation because I gave them a free Friday and that is also an influence. The players don’t believe that because it’s their day off, but it is because I have to then play 11 v 11 the day before the game. So the process of preparation is different. We go by plane, that’s also different because last year we went by train.” United won that game 2-1.
“There are a lot of differences but the biggest difference was the start of the game, Arsenal had an accuracy of passes, 96% – normally Manchester United have that – we had 68%. I believe we have 85% or higher on average so that’s a big difference and after a quarter we had 90% but then it’s already 3-0 and we have lost the game.
“We have spoken about that and it can’t happen again. We started so badly and Arsenal were so good. Maybe that’s a coincidence but I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in preparation, focus and imagination. I have spoken a lot about it with the players. I have shown images. They have been two busy days.”
Van Gaal said everyone shared the responsibility for the loss at Arsenal. “It’s not only the players, it’s also the staff and all the members of the staff and also my cook Mike, because he has a big influence in the atmosphere in the canteen.”
Marcos Rojo, Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera are available, though Paddy McNair ruptured his liver while playing for Northern Ireland and will be out for at least a month.
