Louis van Gaal has confirmed that Rafael and Luke Shaw both sustained injuries in Manchester United’s FA Cup win at Yeovil Town.
Both players were taken off at half-time of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round clash at Huish Park, to be replaced by Jonny Evans and Juan Mata respectively.
The alterations meant United were forced to switch from a back five to a four, but the changes had little effect as a stunning strike from Ander Herrera and Angel di Maria’s late goal earned the Premier League giants a 2-0 victory over their League One opponents.
And Van Gaal later revealed that Rafael had suffered a fractured cheekbone while Shaw had picked up an ankle problem, though he was pleased with the way his side played against the minnows.
“I had expected this. It is always difficult to play against a team like this – play long balls – you have to fight and they gave us a lot of pressure,” the Dutchman told BBC Sport.
“We did not have time to play the ball around, we changed things a little bit in shape in the second half but that was necessary as Shaw was injured, as was Rafael.
“We then had more of the ball and that is why we could score the winner.
“We had more chances in the second half and our first goal came as a consequence of that. Then Yeovil attacked and we were able to score on the counter.
“It [the FA Cup] is important for every club, not just Manchester United. We want to win the FA Cup, we know it will be difficult but that is our goal.”
