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Van Gaal on United midfielder Marouane Fellaini's form: "I knew of him but I didn't meet him until after we came back from pre-season in the United States. From the first training session he has done everything I have asked. He has been very open to what I have said and he wants to perform. We can change the system but the way he is playing, I cannot change him."

Van Gaal has elaborated on the likelihood of Robin van Persie, Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling facing Aston Villa tomorrow.

Netherlands striker Van Persie is getting close to a comeback - but not close enough. England left-back Luke Shaw is back in the mixer.

"Van Persie is still injured. We have a process. He has to go to the final football coach before he comes into my group and he is not there yet. He is still not in my group," says Van Gaal. "But Luke Shaw is in my group."

"Chris Smalling is ill. I don't know if he is available but I know he is not feeling well today so it shall be difficult for him."

While we wait to hear more from Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, here is a bit of transfer chat relating to the Old Trafford club.

Apparently, according to the Manchester Evening News, Van Gaal's top transfer target is Roma and Netherlands midfielder Kevin Strootman - not ex-Red Devil Paul Pogba who is now at Juventus.

Read the other whispers in the football world by casting your eye over the gossip column.

Louis van Gaal goes straight into the team news, which is what Fantasy Football managers up and down the land want to know about.

The Dutchman says defender Chris Smalling is a doubt for Saturday's match against Aston Villa because of illness. You may remember that the England centre-back looked a bit queasy as he was substituted during Tuesday's friendly in Italy.

However, there is some good news United fans - Dutch striker Robin van Persie and England left-back Luke Shaw are getting closer to a return after fitness worries..

Louis van Gaal is in the building. The Manchester United manager is sat behind the top table at Carrington, holding court with the assembled press pack who are hanging on his every word...

Right here is today's schedule - which should be more reliable than an East Coast Mainline train timetable...

12:00 BST: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal

12:30 BST: Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho

15:00 BST: Six Championship matches, including Middlesbrough v Wigan

17:15 BST: Ipswich v Bournemouth

19:45 BST: Derby v Watford

Hello! Wherever you are spending a well-earned Friday off, make sure you spend the vast majority of your time with us.

Our Good Friday coverage kicks off with the wise words of a couple of mercurial Premier League managers, then we switch our attention to some live action with EIGHT Championship matches.

Easter, with two matches over the holiday weekend, is often seen as the defining period in a long season for Football League clubs. So who is going to have a Good Friday and who is going to have a Bad Friday? We will find out over the next 10 hours or so...

Image source, Getty Images

Good Friday, a day where Christians commemorate Jesus Christ being flogged and crucified, is a rather misleading name. It is difficult to understand what is good about a day of intense suffering.

But fast forward 2015 years, and it is a good day for the vast majority of the UK. Usually it means a bonus day off work, which could be spent with the family, wandering the shops, taking shelter from the miserable weather or trying to keep calm in the midst of travel chaos.

But I'll tell you what is really good about Good Friday...a fabulous feast of football.