Aston Villa vs. Manchester United: Key Takeaways from Louis van Gaal's Presser

Sitting pretty in third place in the Premier League table and with six consecutive wins under their belt, there seems to be little that can go wrong for Louis van Gaal and Manchester United at the moment. The Red Devils have received another boost ahead of their trip to Aston Villa this weekend.

That comes as the United manager revealed that Angel Di Maria could be fit to play a part in proceedings on Saturday, as noted by the club’s official Twitter account:

Van Gaal went on to provide more insight into Di Maria's condition, per David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror:

"

Di Maria has trained this week with us, but it is also dependable how he compares with other players. Because he is not match fit.

I have said the same about Robin van Persie and Falcao, and Di Maria is no different.

Maybe I shall select him [Di Maria] on the bench or maybe not. I have to make my decision but we have one more training session so we shall see.

"

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Truth be told, United haven’t really missed the Argentinian in recent wins over Southampton and Liverpool, but Di Maria’s effervescent attacking influence will surely give everyone in the team some extra impetus as they look to build on their superb run.

Marouane Fellaini has been a key man for United in their winning spell, but Van Gaal stated that he will miss the weekend's game because of illness:

It’s a sequence Van Gaal—who has been pretty critical of his team despite their good form—is hoping they can build on, and he admitted that ahead of the trip to Villa Park, he is still awaiting a “perfect” performance:

Nonetheless, it’s United’s best run of form since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, and although these kinds of winning sequences were commonplace under the Scot, under the tutelage of Van Gaal and his predecessor David Moyes, things have been a little more turbulent for the Red Devils.

Perhaps it is little surprise that Van Gaal has engaged in some dialect with Ferguson, and once again, the Dutchman was quick to emphasise the importance of good performances to complement these positive results, per BBC Sport: "I have spoken with Sir Alex Ferguson. He says there is not a problem. We have won. But for me it is also about the performance. If we perform well shall win more matches. That is what I want."

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Van Gaal was also boisterous about the prospect of the club signing former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes. The Spain international is a free agent at the moment, but he is continuing his recovery from a serious knee injury by training with the Red Devils.

With David de Gea performing wonderfully between the sticks in recent weeks, there is little rush for United to get another ‘keeper on board. Van Gaal accused the media of “inventing stories” when it comes to the club’s reported acquisition of Valdes, admitting that if Liverpool were interested, he would end up there, per BBC Sport:

"

It's only talk from you. Not from us, not from Valdes, only the media. I'm not here to inform the media. You have to wait and listen and see.

If Liverpool are interested, he goes to Liverpool. The media are suggesting and that's a big mistake. That's why I'm always angry because you are inventing stories. There are no stories.

"

Paul White/Associated Press

Van Gaal went on to discuss one of his summer signings, Radamel Falcao. The Colombian forward has scored just one goal in an injury-hit start to life at Old Trafford, but the manager insisted that he needs time to regain his match sharpness, something that he doesn’t think is too far away, per BBC Sport:

"

He hasn't played so much.

You cannot see too much of a player if he doesn't train so much. He has been injured a lot of time. First you have to be fit.

Now he shows fitness in the training sessions so maybe I shall select him (for Saturday's game at Aston Villa), maybe for the bench or the line-up. Let's wait and see.

"

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Villa Park is a venue where United have fared magnificently well over the years, and with names like Di Maria and Falcao looking likely to be involved at the weekend, expect the Red Devils to rock up and play with a swagger befitting of a team that has taken maximum points from their last six outings.

There’s been talk of a title tilt for some at the club, and while that may be a little premature, if United keep on winning games over the festive period, they’ll be right in the mix as we move into the second half of the season.

Either way, the club are looking increasingly likely to cement their status among the top-four sides in the division and, consequently, have Champions League football back at Old Trafford next season.