De Gea made to train with reserves

DAVID DE GEA’S Manchester United career hangs in the balance after it emerged that the keeper was made to train with the reserve team for two days this week having been left out of the squad for last night’s match at Aston Villa.

Sportsmail learned last night that De Gea had trained with Warren Joyce’s second string yesterday and on Thursday as United boss Louis van Gaal continues to isolate the player from his first-team squad amid speculation of a summer move to Real Madrid. Van Gaal has repeatedly questioned De Gea’s focus over the past month and said on Thursday that a meeting took place between De Gea (right) and goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek last week, in which the Spaniard stated he did not want to be selected for United’s opening two league games against Tottenham and Aston Villa. As

Sportsmail revealed yesterday, sources close to De Gea utterly deny the suggestion that the player has refused to play for United. They insist De Gea told Hoek that he would be more than happy to play if selected. Associates added that De Gea has no intention of rising to Van Gaal’s bait by refusing to train or play while he remains contracted to the club. Yesterday, De Gea was ‘irritated’ that his professionalism has been called into question by Van Gaal and he believes he has trained perfectly well over the past fortnight. Van Gaal suggested on Thursday that De Gea had lowered his standards. ‘We had been observing him in preparation and he was not so good,’ Van Gaal said.

‘He was not the same David de Gea as before.’ De Gea’s parents, Jose and Marivi, are staying with the keeper at his Cheshire home as they attempt to help him through the most testing period of his career. Eager to demonstrate his continued commitment, the goalkeeper arrived at United’s Carrington training base yesterday morning and trained with the club’s reserves for the second consecutive day. It is believed De Gea was prepared to join United in Birmingham but Van Gaal made the decision for the keeper to remain in Manchester. Real Madrid are monitoring the situation but remain unwilling to match United’s £35million price tag. Meanwhile, United are haggling with Barcelona over the £21.3m buyout clause in Pedro’s contract. United are understood to have offered £17.7m plus £3.6m in add-ons for the Spain star, who wants to leave Barca in search of more first-team football.