Louis van Gaal explains reasons behind Radamel Falcao absence

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that Radamel Falcao was left out of the squad for the 1-0 defeat to Southampton because of the plans he had put in place to make substitutions.

Falcao was a surprise omission from the 18-man squad at Old Trafford, but Van Gaal claims that fitness issues with Angel di Maria and Luke Shaw, who were both taken off in the second half, forced him to avoid selecting the Colombian striker.

"As a coach you have to make decisions, you have to look at the composition of your team and select and look at your game plan. I decided he is out of the 18 because I have to change Luke Shaw and Angel Di Maria for example," the Dutchman told reporters.

"You have to look at the needs of your selection at the time. Marouane Fellaini came in and because of his substitution we created three chances."

There are doubts over whether Falcao will be signed on a permanent basis in the summer when his loan spell from Monaco comes to an end, with Edinson Cavani rumoured to be a candidate to replace him.