Manchester United will have to overcome Belgian league runners up Club Brugge to Old Trafford in the first leg of their Champions League group stage play-off decider on Tuesday, August 18 after the draw was made this morning.
#mufc will face Club Brugge in the @ChampionsLeague play-off round. pic.twitter.com/DEJFYVNm8A
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2015
They will travel to Belgium eight days later for the return leg with victory assuring a place in the lucrative group stage at Europe’s top club competition.
United manager Louis van Gaal spoke to ManUtd.com and reflected on the forthcoming tie:
“This is the first time the two clubs have played against each other. It will be an interesting tie, Club Brugge are a good side, they reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League and finished second in the Belgian League last season.
“It will be nice to go back to Belgium, I have good memories of my time playing there for Antwerp. In fact my debut for Antwerp was against Club Brugge and during my time as manager at Barcelona we played them in the group stages.
“Over two legs we have to be confident against any team, we are determined to progress in the competition.” said Van Gaal.
United’s Premier League campaign starts tomorrow lunchtime with a 12.45pm kick off against Tottenham and van Gaal claimed it was “unbelievable” to find himself with no injury problems to report prior to tomorrow’s curtain raiser although he conceded that some players were unlikely to feature.
“It’s not possible for Rojo to be match fit as he was the last player to come back.” Van Gaal told United’s in-house TV channel MUTV.
“Bastian Schweinsteiger came also at the last moment out of his holidays so I don’t think he is fit enough. We have to build the fitness he needs.”
And van Gaal revealed that he was leaving unsettled goalkeeper David De Gea out of tomorrow’s game as he wasn’t in the right state of mind.
“It is not easy for David De Gea to manage his situation now.” admitted van Gaal after a summer pursuit by Real Madrid.
The Dutch manager will now have to choose between experienced new arrival Sergio Romero or youngster Sam Johnstone who has had plenty of game time during pre-season.
Victor Valdes is expected to leave United after refusing to play in a reserve match last season and hasn’t been handed a squad number.
United have confirmed this season’s squad numbers, with Memphis Depay taking over the iconic number 7 shirt after previous incumbent Angel Di Maria moved to Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.
Matteo Darmian (36), Sergio Romero (20), Morgan Schneiderlin (28) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (31) have also chosen their squad numbers.
Marouane Fellaini handed Bastian Schweinsteiger his favoured number 31 shirt and switched to number 27 while Luke Shaw changed to number 23 from number 3 last season – a number he told MUTV that he “felt comfortable with”.
James Wilson is now number 19 after having number 49 last season.
Our 2015/16 @PremierLeague squad numbers… #mufc pic.twitter.com/YXRexkkaXl
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2015
Manchester United 2015/16 shirt names and numbers:
1. De Gea, 4. Jones, 5. Marcos Rojo, 6. Evans, 7. Memphis, 8. Mata, 10. Rooney, 11. Januzaj, 12. Smalling, 13. Lindegaard, 14. Chicharito, 16. Carrick, 17. Blind, 18. Young, 19. Wilson, 20. S. Romero, 21. Ander Herrera, 23. Shaw, 25. Valencia, 27. Fellaini, 28. Schneiderlin, 31. Schweinsteiger, 33. McNair, 35. Lingard, 36. Darmian, 42. Blackett, 44. Pereira, 50. Johnstone.