United sank to their sixth league defeat of the season as the team were booed off the pitch at the full-time whistle

Louis van Gaal believes the injury to Matteo Darmian triggered Manchester United’s downfall in their 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton.

United’s sixth league loss of the season has left them five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, while the fans made their dissatisfaction known at the full-time whistle as the team were booed off the pitch.

Darmian was forced off in the 60th minute after clashing heads with Shane Long and Van Gaal admits the the Italian’s substitution, along with the absence of Marouane Fellaini who was brought off at half-time, contributed to Southampton securing the victory as Charlie Austin headed home James Ward-Prowse’s corner three minutes from time.

“You can analyse that as a manager and players have to do because it is difficult to create chances when you are so tactically busy with pressing each other and pressure on the ball,” said Van Gaal.
“Neither us nor they kept the ball so much. I put Mata in because I wanted to change that and to keep the ball much easier. In the first 15 minutes it was much better and the fans were cheering the team.

“But then the injury of Darmian happened and that changed the play I think because it was not a nice thing to view for my players. Every change I have made today I knew in advance that in set plays we would have a problem. When replacing Fellaini and Darmian you lose two headers, and we don't have a tall team."

- Goal