Manchester United striker and Louis van Gaal's best mate Robin van Persie will miss the start of the Premier League season as he gets up to full fitness.
The Dutch international, who starred for van Gaal's Netherlands side at the World Cup in Brazil, has missed the pre-season tour of the United States and will only begin his preparations for the new season on Monday.
Quoted in the Mirror, van Gaal said:
"Robin will begin training on Monday, but he won't play in the friendly against Valencia on August 12, definitely not.
"And he won't play in the Premier League at the start either, I think. People can criticise me for that decision but I know what you have to do with players who have had three weeks' holiday.
"Hopefully, Robin will get his fitness back very fast. But at this moment, he won't be playing."
This news doesn't come as a great surprise, and with Danny Welbeck having looked so pleasingly sharp in pre-season, neither is it too worrying.
It's certainly better to be patient and wait until van Persie's fully fit than attempt to hurry him back before he's ready. I'm looking at you, David Moyes …