Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has ruled out playing Daley Blind at centre-half.

United are reeling from a defensive injury crisis.

"I don't like having too many left-sided defenders or left-footed players in defence," Van Gaal told MUTV. "I think always of balance so [instead] I have to pick up a right-sided central defender from the youth education. Normally, I am always doing things like that. I have already said that we have a lot of vacancies when you buy only six players and let 14 players go.

"The amount of injuries is worrying me and they are not coming back," he added. "Smalling is already, for the third time, injured. Evans also. Jones had one injury in the national team, which was unfortunate.