Manchester United faces injury crisis ahead of Midtjylland

Manchester United is facing a dilemma ahead of Thursday's Europa League second leg with Danish minnows Midtjylland.

A rash of injuries have left manager Louis van Gaal with limited options looking to nullify Midtjylland's one-goal advantage following a 2-1 victory on home soil a week ago.

Anything less than a commanding win will be seen as a disappointment for the Red Devils as Van Gaal's tenure at Old Trafford hangs by the narrowest of threads on the heels of another dismal result.

Star shot-stopper David De Gea is facing a fitness race for Thursday's fixture, while injuries to Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones, Ashley Young, Marcos Rojo, Antonio Valencia, and Luke Shaw symbolize a defensive crisis at the club.

"I don’t know if De Gea will be fit. It is not so heavy an injury, but we have to wait and see when we can start him again," Van Gaal told reporters Tuesday, courtesy of The Telegraph.

Compound that with the fact Wayne Rooney is sidelined until April, and Van Gaal will be forced again to name a green squad for a pivotal continental tilt.

And that young and inexperienced side is poised to feature even more obscure names, with the possibility that Will Keane, Jesse Lingard, and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson miss out after suffering knocks during Monday's FA Cup victory over Shrewsbury Town.

Even with the laundry list of injured players, United will be expected to win Thursday and advance to the Europa League round of 16, and whether he likes it or not, Van Gaal's spell with the club may depend on the health of his players.