Manchester United Premier League Squad 2015: Louis van Gaal Names Victor Valdes

Manchester United have named Victor Valdes in their final squad for the 2015-16 Premier League season despite the ongoing tension between the goalkeeper and manager Louis van Gaal.

As noted by Simon Jones of the MailOnline, the former Barcelona man has been added to the shortlist along with fellow goalkeepers David De Gea, Sergio Romero and Sam Johnstone. Valdes has yet to feature for the Red Devils this season, with Romero getting the nod between the sticks for the first four games. 

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The Spanish international was not named in United’s Champions League squad, per Mike Keegan of the MailOnline. This is despite his masses of experience in the competition, per WhoScored.com:

According to Jones, the situation for Valdes at Old Trafford is pretty bleak, having to train and eat on his own after a falling out with the Dutch coach. Van Gaal claimed earlier in the season that the Spanish stopper had refused to play for the under-21 team and omitted him from the pre-season tour to the United States as a result.

His former team-mate at the Camp Nou, Pedro—who opted to join Chelsea rather than head to Old Trafford in the transfer window—claimed he had spoken to Valdes about a “problem” with Van Gaal. “It is true that I do not like the treatment of my [Spain] team-mates, especially Victor, who has been a reference for me and is a model professional,” he told Marca, per Goal.

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Vales looked set to join Besiktas before the transfer deadline, but the deal fell through as the two clubs couldn’t agree terms. Here’s a reminder of what Valdes is capable of producing at this very best:

Although being named in the Premier League squad may serve as something of a glimmer of hope for Valdes, he looks unlikely to be involved soon. Romero has done a decent job in his opening games for the Red Devils but De Gea will start to be reintegrated into the team at the earliest chance after his move to Real Madrid fell through, according to Sam Wallace of the Independent.

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The veteran goalkeeper seems to be in a state of flux as a result, even if he has insisted he will continue to work hard while at the club:

"

No matter what happens. The only way I know is to work hard every day. Thank you all for your support ! #mufc pic.twitter.com/Jj3GRKzPnU

— Victor Valdes (@1victorvaldes) September 3, 2015"

Sadly, the longer Valdes sits in the stands, the less likely it is he’ll ever scale the levels he previously showcased at Barcelona. Since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in March 2014, the goalkeeper has not put together a sustained run of matches and barring an injury crisis or a massive change of heart from Van Gaal, that looks unlikely to change at United.

Valdes certainly has the talent to upgrade most teams between the sticks and you suspect he’ll be allowed to move swiftly on with his career in January. At 33 years old he still has a lot to offer and while he will never show his best at Old Trafford, some consistent minutes in a fresh environment could rekindle something yet for the goalkeeper.