Good afternoon! Louis van Gaal will be speaking to the media shortly as he prepares his Manchester United side for a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Premier League. It will be the Dutchman's first trip to Anfield in the league.

United come into this match in strong form, having lost just once in their last eight matches in the league. They've won their last three in a row without conceding a goal.

Van Gaal's already given the club's TV channel an update on his squad's fitness, revealing that Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw won't be fit enough to start against Liverpool but they could both feature on the bench.

Speaking of Luke Shaw, he's been on Twitter this afternoon, describing this weekend's match as "tough":

Huge game on Sunday for us! We know it's gonna be a tough game but we've been working hard all week in training #mufc pic.twitter.com/dRU9cA4H4m — Luke Shaw (@LukeShaw3) March 20, 2015

Right then, the manager is ready to speak, so let's see what he has to say...

Van Gaal starts by revealing that Michael Carrick has agreed a one-year contract extension. He says: "He is for me my second captain behind Wayne Rooney and he can also read the game as a team player so that's very important. He has also an excellent pass forward. That's very important for me."

Van Gaal adds: "Rooney is my first captain, Carrick is my second. That says enough of how much I value these players."

Van Gaal is asked about the team's performance in their 3-0 win over Spurs, but he plays it down: "It says nothing if you lose the next match against Liverpool. If we can show that same sort of performance against Liverpool, then I think we have moved forward."

The manager insists that he knows about the significance of facing Liverpool: "I have the cook, Mike, saying that every day to the players and me. I like that as it shows that it is a very particular match, especially for the fans of Manchester United. It also helps us to concentrate on this match."

Back on last week's win, Van Gaal adds: "Every win is better than a loss or draw, you start better. We played very well in the first half. Liverpool is not the ground that United has won a lot on."

On the importance of this match, Van Gaal admits: "I want to win against them again. It's very important. I think every player knows the importance of this game. We are in a very crucial stage and cannot lose."

Van Gaal is asked about the performance of English clubs in Europe, and he tells reporters: "I have to go back to Christmas, the world is changing, it isn't the same as 20 years ago. 20 years ago EPL was here and now the other countries are developing but they have always a winter break, we play four in two weeks. Bayern Munich are much fresher than players of Arsenal and Chelsea. Players need rest."

That's all from Van Gaal for now, so join us again on Sunday to find out if Manchester United can end Liverpool's unbeaten run. Until then, thanks for joining me this afternoon. Goodbye!