Luis Van Gaal is planning to hand Victor Valdes his Manchester United debut against Cambridge United on Friday.
Valdes, the former Barcelona goalkeeper who signed an 18-month contract at Old Trafford this month, has been named as a substitute as cover for David de Gea for United’s recent Premier League fixtures against Queens Park Rangers and Southampton.
However, with Van Gaal ready to sell the out-of-favour goalkeepers Anders Lindegaard – the Denmark international who Sevilla are keen to sign – and Ben Amos this month the United manager wants to expose Valdes, 33, to first-team football to ensure that he is prepared to stand in for De Gea should his No 1 become unavailable before the end of the season.
Valdes has not played competitive football since sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury while playing for Barcelona against Celta Viga in March last year.
The Spaniard, who had been poised to leave Barcelona for Monaco before he was struck down by his injury, had spent three months completing his rehabilitation at Old Trafford before being offered a contract by Van Gaal, who has been convinced by Valdes’s recovery and ability to provide top‑quality cover for De Gea.
Despite De Gea’s uncertain future at United due to the goalkeeper, 24, having less than 18 months to run on his contract at Old Trafford, Van Gaal has made it clear to both goalkeepers that De Gea remains his first choice.
De Gea has been an ever-present for United this season, with Van Gaal overlooking Lindegaard and Amos to select the former Atlético Madrid goalkeeper for the Capital One Cup humiliation against MK Dons last August.
However, with Valdes needing to return to senior action to adjust to the more physical demands of English football, Van Gaal is contemplating naming him in the team to face League Two minnows Cambridge in the FA Cup fourth-round tie at the Abbey Stadium.
Robin van Persie, who missed the 2-0 victory at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday with an ankle injury, is poised to be fit to face Cambridge on Friday, but Van Gaal is considering resting the Holland international striker to hand more game time to Radamel Falcao and the youngster James Wilson.
Meanwhile, senior figures at Old Trafford have rejected speculation in Spain linking United with a £26.7 million bid for Valencia’s Argentina defender, Nicolas Otamendi.
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