Robin van Persie has "no chance" of featuring for Manchester United against Swansea City on Saturday, according to manager Louis van Gaal.

The striker returned to pre-season training late after reaching the World Cup semi-finals, under Van Gaal, with the Netherlands. And, asked whether Van Persie might be fit enough to play on Saturday, Van Gaal said: "No chance. He has to train."

The comments echo the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach's statement from earlier this month, when he predicted Van Persie would not be ready.

"Robin wants to play every game, I know that, but so do the other 30 players in the squad," he said at the time. "But players have to train and Robin needs a full training regime behind him before he can play again." Big-money signing Luke Shaw will also miss out on Saturday after picking up a hamstring injury, but Van Gaal is confident of filling the gap left by the teenager.

"We played in the USA [pre-season tour] with
Reece James and Ashley Young in that position [left wing-back]," he reminded reporters. "I'm not worried." Sam Johnstone, Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans and Danny Welbeck all join Shaw in being unavailable for the Premier League curtain-raiser through injury, while Michael Carrick is also absent as he continues to recover from ankle surgery.

For the second season in a row, Manchester
United kick off their Barclays Premier League
campaign against Swansea City and under a new manager.

After 27 years with Alex Ferguson at the helm, the Old Trafford club parted with successor David Moyes just 10 months into his contract as they careered towards a seventh-place finish in the top flight last term – their lowest in the competition's history.

Ryan Giggs saw out the season in the United hot seat on an interim basis, but the onus now falls on former Netherlands coach Van Gaal to restore the club's fortunes.

And the experienced coach, who led his country to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil earlier this year, has brought a new sense of optimism to the 13-time Barclays Premier League champions.

"We can't wait to get going against Swansea and look to put right the wrongs from last year," midfielder Tom Cleverley told United's official website.

"This club has always been renowned
for bouncing back from sticky patches and that's one of the reasons it's so loved around the world."

Swansea, who claimed their first win at Old
Trafford in the FA Cup third round last season, have provided the opposition for a number of significant moments in United's recent history.

Prior to losing 4-1 in Moyes' first league game in charge of United at the Liberty Stadium 12
months ago, the Welsh club were also the
opponents for Ferguson's last match at Old
Trafford at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

And, with Van Gaal's Premier League bow set to dominate headlines in the build-up to the latest encounter between the clubs, Swansea manager Garry Monk is happy to deflect the attention onto his opposite number.

"All the focus will be on them, which suits us
fine," he said. "We'll just go up there and do the best we can. "The big clubs attract the most attention - the best players in the world play for these bigger clubs.

All the focus is on them and we'll just go
about our jobs. "Everyone is beatable, the best teams in the world are beatable.

You always have the chance and we'll be going up there believing we can win the game. We don't fear it; we see it as a
challenge."

United have refreshed their squad with the
acquisitions of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera
during the close-season. But Shaw, a big-money signing from Southampton, has been sidelined for up to four weeks with a hamstring injury. Swansea, meanwhile, have experienced a sizeable turnover in personnel since the end of last season.

Pablo Hernandez, Chico Flores, Ben Davies and Michel Vorm have all left the club for pastures new, while Michu has gone
to Napoli on a season-long loan.

Lukasz Fabianski, Bafetimbi Gomis and Jefferson Montero are all likely to make their debuts against United, and Gylfi Sigurdsson could be in line to kick-start his second stint with the club, this time in a permanent capacity.

Leon Britton, Marvin Emnes and Jay Fulton are all missing for Swansea with knee injuries

Manchester United vs
Swansea City 2014
Preview, Time
Manchester United will play their first
match of premier league 2014-15
against Swansea City . The match will
be played on 16th August 2014 at
home stadium of Man United i.e. Old
Trafford. This will be the first official
test of new manager Louis Van Gaal
under his management of British club.
The club has recently won their pre
season championship in United States
defeating, LA Galaxy, Real Madrid, AS
Roma, Inter Milan and Liverpool. Have
a look on match preview, time and TV
telecast channels of Man United vs
Swansea.
Manchester United vs Swansea 2014
Schedule, Time
Competition Premier League
2014-15
Date 16th August [GMT &
IST]
Time 12:45 pm [GMT] &
6:15 pm [IST]
Stadium Old Trafford
Seating
capacity
75,731 spectators
Home team The Red Devils
Away team The Jacks
Match Week 1st
Telecast &
Broadcast
Channels
BBC Radio 5 Live,
SiriusXM FC
Star Sports, Canal+
Futbol / HD

The Premier league is back!!!!

Yippeeeee!!!!!

Click Like if you missed the premier league...

God, all i need tmao is 3points...united forever

Our first victim this season . Though I am not completely convinced with the present players performance but not on this match. United all the way. I see a 3-0 victory

Let's go... Swansea will win this.. 2:1

Swansea all the way

United supporters hit like

Glory Glory Man utd

Blackberry users can follow all the
action from today's match with
Manchester United's Club App for
Free.
Click here do download: http:///VhKH7f

You Manchester united fan make una cool down .. # space booked#

UNITED: De Gea; Jones,
Smalling, Blackett; Lingard,
Fletcher, Herrera, Young; Mata;
Rooney (c), Hernandez





mukina2 i seeth thou

GGMU#...let show these moda*UCK*RS we dont baby-sit anymore..







IHOTaGO#

Hehe

I rep Man U.

Up Man Utd

#GGMU!!! I need that 3 points!

Cymbal: .

why?last warning

Day 1- Man U 3 Swans 1
..

3 points +2 goals..

After day 1, third on the log table.

Odunharry:
why?last warning

Arsenal for life.



RIP to MAn United in advance

Odunharry: UNITED: De Gea; Jones,
Smalling, Blackett; Lingard,
Fletcher, Herrera, Young; Mata;
Rooney (c), Hernandez





mukina2 i seeth thou

is this the squad man u intends to win the epl with? Lol. Jokers!

Man U 1-2 Swansea

Let the game begin....#Team Chelsea on ma mind#

VAN GAAL, Proving haters wrong and lovers right since 1950!

UNITED WE STAND! RED ARMY MATCHING FOR THE TROPHY!

Odunharry: UNITED: De Gea; Jones,
Smalling, Blackett; Lingard,
Fletcher, Herrera, Young; Mata;
Rooney (c), Hernandez





mukina2 i seeth thou

Even stoke city will beat this team.LVG records will be tarnished @ the end of this campaign.Buy quality Man U.

Tearful goodbye to my GirlFriend, see u in May....#EPLIsBack

Another bad season for the united fan ....Van Gaal cannot save you.

macpetrus: Tearful goodbye to my GirlFriend, see u in May....#EPLIsBack

Chai

Girls Don suffer.

Aha! Mun zo...mu yan adawa ne!! Up Swansea!!!

lexyman: Another bad season for the united fan ....Van Gaal cannot save you.

My friend go and sat down.