When the team sheets for the Manchester United vs Newcastle United game were released, many fans frowned upon Juan Mata’s exclusion from the starting XI, and that led to Louis van Gaal being asked about why he chosen to do so in his pre-match interview.
The Dutchman has claimed that Mata has played plenty of minutes recently, and he needs a rest to regain some much-needed fitness.
“Mata has played all the games, I think there was only one he didn’t play, so he needed a rest.” Van Gaal said.
Leaving Mata out certainly makes sense. He has played an awful lot of football recently, and his style of play isn’t really suited to playing out wide in away games. Jesse Lingard is a much better option for the game tonight, and it gives the Spaniard some time to build up his energy levels and get back to his best.
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