Manchester United have been hit by a mini injury crisis ahead of their trip to Watford tomorrow, with both Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney declared unfit to play at Vicarage Road.

With the international break out of the way and a busy fixture list ahead of them, Manchester United were hoping for a cleaner bill of health at the start of a hectic period of the season.




Martial was seen leaving Wembley on crutches on Tuesday night and Louis van Gaal has revealed that he will not be fit enough to take the field against Watford tomorrow.

However, he also revealed that Rooney is ill and Marouane Fellaini has failed to recover from an injury he suffered before the international break. The Dutchman was expecting the midfielder to be fit.
 


Michael Carrick has also been ruled out after he suffered an ankle injury on international duty for England against Spain last week.

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Van Gaal told MUTV: “I think that everybody knows Michael Carrick and Anthony Martial are injured, but also injured is Fellaini.

“That's a surprise because I thought he was recovered after the international break, but still he is injured.

"And that's a big blow because Rooney is ill, so we have a big problem, I think, but okay, we shall survive.”

Van Gaal expects to have his attacking duo of Martial and Rooney back for their midweek Champion League fixture, but conceded that he is concerned about the growing injury list just ahead of the winter period.

“It’s not so heavy as everybody has written in the media, but he [Martial] cannot play against Watford.

“Maybe PSV for Martial but it's not certain, and I think Rooney shall also play then because illness is not something of many days.

"And [Antonio] Valencia, of course, has been operated on before the international break already, then [Luke] Shaw, so we have five injured players, and that's a lot.”