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Michael Carrick has been ruled out of Manchester United's Champions League clash with Wolfsburg on Wednesday, while the Premier League leaders face an anxious wait to see if Ander Herrera and Antonio Valencia are fit. Manager Louis van Gaal is prepared to leave key personnel out as a precautionary measure before United head into what he thinks is a must-win game without five players. The injured pair of Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo are definitely out while three more players have picked up problems and missed training on Tuesday. Van Gaal said in Tuesday's pregame news conference: "I think that Michael Carrick shall not play tomorrow [Wednesday]. The other two, we have to wait and see." The Dutch coach omitted captain Wayne Rooney for two games earlier in September because of concerns about a slight hamstring problem, and he is prepared to do the same with the striker's teammates. "They have minor injuries so I don't want to take any risk like we have done with Wayne Rooney," Van Gaal said. "We do the same with Michael Carrick or Ander Herrera because we have to play a full season and it is better to withdraw players for one match [rather] than they play and they get injured." United began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven, and Van Gaal believes it is vital they take a maximum nine points at home if they are to qualify for the last 16. "I think in the Champions League you need to win all your home matches otherwise it shall be very difficult," he said. "It is still possible but it shall be very difficult so it is important we shall win." Former Bayern Munich manager Van Gaal has praised his Wolfsburg counterpart Dieter Hecking, who helped them win the DFB-Pokal last season. "When I was there [in Germany] he was the trainer-coach of Nurnberg so I think we played against each other as a coach," he added. "I met him and he is a gentleman but also a very modest man. "That is the only contact that I have but after I have gone, he wins [DFB-Pokal] and he wins the Super Cup. He did very well with Wolfsburg [but] I hope he shall not do too good tomorrow."
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