Louis van Gaal Hints Manchester United Quartet Could Return for Visit to Arsenal

Manchester United quartet Rafael da Silva, Jonny Evans, Phil Jones and Radamel Falcao are likely to return to the bench for the visit to Arsenal following the international break.

United's defensive options have been ravaged by injuries in recent weeks with 19-year-old Paddy McNair and midfielders Antonio Valencia, Daley Blind and Michael Carrick all dropping back to cover amid a string of absences.

While Rafael, who has missed the club's last two games, confirmed via his Instagram account he has returned to first team training, manager Louis van Gaal claims the Brazilian is unlikely to be fit enough to start at the Emirates on 22 November.

Evans and Jones, who have been unavailable through ankle and shin problems respectively, are also unlikely to be considered for starting roles while Falcao is also likely to have a role to play off the bench after struggling with a calf problem that has ruled him out for three games.

When asked of the four players and their chances of returning against the Gunners, van Gaal said: "No, I don't think so because now some of them have already not played for five, six, seven weeks.

"They could sit on the bench because they can play 20 minutes but I cannot put a lot of players who are not 100 percent fit on the bench. You saw what happened with [Paddy] McNair [who suffered from cramp against Crystal Palace] because the rhythm of the game is very high in the Premier League."

Falcao has not featured in United's last three match day squads; prompting speculation the Colombian international is receiving treatment for the knee problem that saw him miss the World Cup.

The 28-year-old however recently rubbished such reports, stating through his Instagram account he is "ready to train with the best motivation."

Van Gaal will also closely monitor Robin van Persie's progress over the next week after the Netherlands captain was ruled out of a friendly clash with Mexico on Wednesday, ahead of a crucial European Championship qualifier against Latvia on Sunday.

"Van Persie is not quite fit," Netherlands boss Guus Hiddink said. "He trained today but he did not fully participate. I don't think he will be used against Mexico."

United will also have Chris Smalling back from suspension following the international break but Marcos Rojo remains absent after suffering a dislocated shoulder during the Manchester derby.