Manchester United: Louis van Gaal confirms Michael Carrick return from injury just a matter of time

The Manchester United manager has confirmed that midfielder Michael Carrick will play this season and could be available for their next game against Crystal Palace on Saturday, 9 May.

The English midfielder suffered a calf injury in the final stages of the game against Manchester City and in his absence the Red Devils have failed to win a single game.

Louis van Gaal's team have lost three consecutive Premier League games against Chelsea, Everton and West Bromwich Albion and the manager admits that Carrick's absence has been a big problem for the team.

It will come as a big boost for the manager to have his services for their trip to Selhurst Park on 9 May, as he believes that he does not have a another player like the former Tottenham midfielder, who can read the game for the team.

"Yes, I had expected that he could play this weekend, but it is a matter of time. When you see in our team, he is a holding midfielder and we don't have so much [of them]. When [Daley] Blind and Carrick have been injured, we have had a big problem," Van Gaal is quoted as saying on United's official site.

"He is a player who can read the game and that is what I am looking for, players who can read the game, not only individually but also for the team, because the team is more important."

"All the players can read the game individually, their own role that is not so difficult. But to see it for the team is more difficult, not so many players can read the game for the team. That is why they need coaches," the Dutchman explained.

Carrick has had an injury-prone season, but has been key in United's rise this season, and was awarded a new one-year contract extension earlier in the season.