Man Utd’s Manuel Ugarte in doubt to face Brentford after suffering knock vs Ecuador
The nature of his injury remains unclear, but it raises concerns over his availability for Saturday’s clash at Old Trafford.
Manchester United keeper David de Gea, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest shot-stoppers, has a surprisingly modest list of aims for 2018.
“My aims for 2018? Health is the most important thing for everyone and we want to win a trophy. We will try to play really well and fight for everything including the Champions League and the FA Cup. And the World Cup, of course,” de Gea responded when asked by MUTV what his goals for the new calendar year were.
United are the midst of a hectic winter schedule and while Spaniard admitted that the frenetic nature of the English top-flight can get a bit much, he added that that’s part of the allure of the Premier League.
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“It’s a bit crazy with a lot of games at this time but we have to play and have to try to win,” the 27-year-old opined.
“It’s always a special time for everyone. They (my friends in Spain) think everyone is on holiday but we play (games) and this is England – this is the history of the Premier League.”
United manager Jose Mourinho has opted to use Sergio Romero for cup competitions (EFL Cup and FA Cup) this season, but de Gea insisted he was at peace with the Portuguese’s decision.
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“It is good to have some rest to recover after so many games. It’s good for the team and for the players to have some rest to relax, recover and train,” de Gea stated.
“Of course, as a player, I want to play every game in every competition. Of course, the FA Cup is a special trophy and I want to play every game but I know there are other players who want to play as well and have a chance to play.”
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“It’s good to have a bigger squad with a lot of players so, when we have a lot of games, we can change the players and it’s good to use the squad,” the 27-year-old added.
Manchester United jet off to Dubai for a week-long warm weather training camp on Monday as their next game in the Premier League is on January 15, with manager-less Stoke City.
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