Ranking Manchester United Loanees on Chances of Regular First-Team Action
Manchester United have got nine players out on loan, but some have left Old Trafford for different reasons than others.
Some have left to get experience, knowing their chances, at the moment, are limited. However, they're still hoping their long-term futures lie at United.
But others have left knowing they are unlikely ever to play for the club again.
Here's a list of United loanees, ranked by how likely it is they'll return to play a part for Louis van Gaal. Feel free to use the comments section below to agree or disagree.
9. Tom Cleverley
1 of 9
United will hope Tom Cleverley does well enough at Aston Villa to convince Paul Lambert to keep him at Villa Park.
The midfielder had the pre-season tour and the early part of the season to prove to Louis van Gaal he should be part of the new-look United squad. But he didn't do enough.
With Van Gaal set to open the chequebook to sign a central midfielder in January or next summer, the chances of Cleverley, whose contract is up in the summer anyway, returning are very slim.
8. Guillermo Varela
2 of 9
The nature of Guillermo Varela's loan move hints that he's not coming back. It looks like he's joined Real Madrid B with the intent to make the move permanent at the end of the season.
If United wanted to give him more experience, the 21-year-old right-back would have been better off finding a club in England. Some impressive performances for the Under-21s last season elevated him to the brink of the first team.
But it looks like that's as close as he's going to get.
7. Nick Powell
3 of 9
At some stage, probably next summer, Van Gaal is going to strengthen his midfield. And when he does, Nick Powell is going to be even further down the pecking order.
He needed to impress in the Premier League with Leicester this season, but he's only played twice. He'll still have a year left on his contract when he returns to Old Trafford next summer.
But he's got work to do to get an extension.
6. Javier Hernandez
4 of 9
Like Cleverley, Van Gaal saw a lot of Javier Hernandez during the summer and in the first part of the season and decided he could do without him.
And that's unlikely to change, unless the Dutchman decides he doesn't want to keep Radamel Falcao. Even in that scenario, it's more likely Van Gaal will sign someone else than recall Hernandez.
It looks like the 26-year-old striker has played his last game for United.
5. Angelo Henriquez
5 of 9
Angelo Henriquez is yet to play for the first team. But still only 20 years old, he's got time to change that.
He's had experience in the Premier League with Wigan and in Spain with Real Zaragoza. But it's his latest move, to Dinamo Zagreb, that has proved most successful.
He's scored 14 goals in 15 games in Croatia, and if his form carries on, he's got a good chance of getting a chance at Old Trafford next summer.
Still, with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao in the squad, the Chilean striker is going to find it difficult to break through.
4. Reece James
6 of 9
Van Gaal is a fan of Reece James after an impressive summer tour. He was in and around the first-team squad at the start of the season but has had to go out on loan to Rotherham to get games.
At 21, he's there to get some valuable experience rather than engineer a move away from Old Trafford. He'll get more opportunities to impress Van Gaal but probably not until next season.
3. Wilfried Zaha
7 of 9
Van Gaal is fond of pace and Wilfried Zaha has it in spades. The 22-year-old wasn't going to get many opportunities this season, and it was probably best for everyone that he went back to Crystal Palace.
But at 22 year old, he's still got time to prove to Van Gaal he belongs at Old Trafford. He'll find it hard because Van Gaal isn't going to stop signing world class players. But Zaha's United career isn't over yet.
2. Michael Keane
8 of 9
Still only 21 years old, Michael Keane has time on his side. And he's gone to Burnley to get Premier League experience rather than put himself in the shop window.
If he does well enough at Turf Moor, he should get another chance to show he's good enough to stay at Old Trafford.
Van Gaal has shown he's not afraid of picking young, inexperienced defenders, and Keane will hope to capitalise on that when his spell at Burnley ends.
1. Nani
9 of 9
Nani has done well during his loan spell back at Sporting Lisbon and won't have given up hope of forcing his way in Van Gaal's plans.
He won't be back at Old Trafford in January because his move to Sporting was part of the deal that took Marcos Rojo to United.
But with a contract until 2018, he'll return next summer unless United can find a buyer—and someone to cover his wages.
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