Saturday 21 November 2015 13:20, UK
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted he is disappointed with the form of high-profile summer signing Memphis Depay.
Depay started United's first eight Premier League games but going into Saturday's match at Watford, he had not featured in any of the previous four outings since being hauled off at half-time during the humiliating 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on October 4.
Earlier this summer, Van Gaal hailed Depay as the "greatest talent of his age", but the Dutchman has looked nothing like the man who topped the Eredivisie scoring charts with 22 goals for PSV Eindhoven last season.
When asked if he expected more of his compatriot, Van Gaal said before the trip to Vicarage Road: "Of course, because otherwise he was still in the team.
"Otherwise I don't look for another solution and [that is why] I have kept Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira, for that option."
With Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini unavailable, Van Gaal could ask Depay to lead the line for United at Watford.
Van Gaal has been looking for a response from Depay since benching him and he said he is pleased with what he has seen in training.
"Now he has to fight back and he does it, so I am satisfied [with him]," Van Gaal said. "There is always a chance [he will play on Saturday]. I have to see and compare players.
"He is always looking very good.
"Jesse Lingard has played very well, but it's a question if he is consistent and that we have to wait and see.
"I don't have any problems with players but sometimes they are out of the team because their competitor is in that moment in a better shape but that doesn't mean that I have a quarrel with the player. It's a matter of form."
With Rooney, Martial and Fellaini ruled out and James Wilson lacking match fitness, Van Gaal admits he has a "big problem" selecting an attack for Saturday.
United's injury woes have forced Van Gaal to call 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford and promising midfielder Sean Goss, 20, into the squad for the game in Hertfordshire.
Rashford is the latest teenage academy product to be promoted to the first-team in recent weeks, after Axel Tuanzebe's inclusion in the match-day squad at Crystal Palace and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson's debut against West Brom.
