Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed goalkeeper David de Gea is not ready to play in their Premier League opener against Tottenham on Saturday.
The Spanish goalkeeper, the Red Devils’ stand-out star over the past few seasons, has been linked with a move to Real Madrid all summer.
De Gea, 24, started the last two games of the club’s pre-season tour of the USA, but will not be considered for the clash against Spurs, according to Van Gaal.
"He shall not play," the Dutch boss said.
"I think a human being is more than only a player, and he [De Gea] cannot manage that."
De Gea has long been linked with a return to the Spanish capital with Real Madrid, who see the goalkeeper as the long-term successor to departed captain Iker Casillas.
But United have insisted all summer that the club would only sell if they received defender Sergio Ramos as part of a swap deal, though the La Liga giants have insisted their new captain will not leave.
"We have problems of course with De Gea," Van Gaal added, when asked what he thought the outcome of the saga would be. "I don't know. That's in process.
"I cannot lead this process - I can only watch and observe and that's what I'm doing, but I'm not participating in it."
With Victor Valdes frozen out of the first team, the Red Devils manager has limited options when it comes to a replacement for the club's two-time player of the year.
Summer signing Sergio Romero, who arrived in free transfer last week, seems the most likely to step in, but when asked if Argentina No.1 would start the lunch time kick-off at Old Trafford, Van Gaal said: "You have to wait and see who is starting."
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