MANCHESTER -- Manchester United's new signing Marcos Rojo is unlikely to be available to make his debut against Burnley on Saturday after leaving England to try to get a work permit.
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And the former Premier League champions will also be without another summer recruit, Ander Herrera, as manager Louis van Gaal complained that 10 players are now sidelined in their injury crisis.
United's record buy Angel Di Maria will be available at Turf Moor because he has a European passport but Rojo, who does not, has had to go to the British embassy in Madrid in an attempt to get the relevant paperwork.
Van Gaal explained in a news conference: "Rojo is working on his permit, he has to go abroad [to do] that. The difference on Angel Di Maria is he has an Italian permit and Rojo not. Now he is abroad in Madrid to work in the embassy."
Herrera has sat out United's last two games while Shinji Kagawa, who suffered concussion in the first half of Tuesday's 4-0 defeat to MK Dons, is also unavailable.
And Van Gaal added: "Ander Herrera is now injured and we have now 10 injuries. [Herrera's injury] is short term. Kagawa has now concussion. A lot of players shall return after the international break so then our problem is solved."
Van Gaal is yet to win as United manager and preferred to deflect questions as to whether he was surprised at the scale of the task he faces because he did not want to criticise his predecessors.
He said: "That is looking at the past. That is a question that I don't want to answer. Why? Because I want to show my respect to David Moyes and Mr [Alex] Ferguson. I think we have to look to the future and that we are doing now but restoring and rebuilding a new team."
United have switched to play a back three under Van Gaal and have conceded seven goals in three games this season but the Dutchman believes their difficulties lie when they have possession, not when they don't.
"We have defended very well," he said. "We don't give any chances away or less. Our problem is when we have the ball and have to build up the play and that we have to improve. I don't think our defence is weak."