Robin van Persie will have to prove himself with the Manchester United youth team before manager Louis van Gaal entrusts him with a role in the club’s final set of Premier League fixtures.
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The Red Devils have eight games remaining, while they currently hold a five point advantage over fifth place Liverpool in the race for a Champions League spot.
Van Persie has been out of action since United’s defeat to Swansea City at the end of February. The club have enjoyed a fine run of form in his absence, a run which has included the back-to-back victories over Tottenham and Liverpool.
Now the 31-year-old is facing a battle to prove that he deserves to return to the starting line-up. He will definitely miss Saturday’s game against Aston Villa, while the Daily Star believes he’s also likely to be absent against Manchester City a week later.
The player will return to light training next week, but will have to feature for the Under-21s before sealing his return. Asked about the possibility of the forward playing with the youngsters, Van Gaal said: “That is possible, like the others.
“I have explained, he’s still not in my group, so then he cannot play. I don’t think he will be fit for the game against Manchester City. The process has to give me signals that he is ready for that.
“But I know that from my experience it is not like that. And everybody is fit. So I have to compare players also.”