Ralf Rangnick does not intend to 'gift' Manchester United players farewells against Brentford and Jadon Sancho could be out for their remaining three fixtures.
United play their final home game of the season on Monday in what is expected to be the last possible chance for out-of-contract trio Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard to appear at Old Trafford for the club.
Matic has started in the last three games and is expected to keep his place due to a shortage of central midfielders but Mata has not started in the Premier League since the final day of last season. Jesse Lingard started against Norwich earlier this month but had to withdraw from the Chelsea squad due to personal family reasons.
READ MORE: Rangnick advises United to sign two strikers
"I would like to but it is also about getting the best possible result and the best possible performance," Rangnick said of the prospect of giving Matic, Mata and Lingard fulfilling playing time. "It is not about making any gifts to players.
"Juan Mata played the last 15 minutes, Nema almost the whole game, it is not about saying farewell to the supporters. If that is possible I would do that, I would like to do that, but it is also about getting the best possible result."
Sancho missed the 1-1 draw with Brentford due to tonsillitis and is waiting for the inflammation to subside before he can have them removed.
Fred has been absent for the last four games with a calf injury but could return against Brentford. Edinson Cavani is due back in training on Friday but Rangnick suggested a bench role was the best-case scenario for the brittle Uruguayan.
"I hope Fred will make it for the Brentford game," Rangnick added. "Tonight was too early for him. As it seems, Jadon might be out for the rest of the season with his tonsillitis, so he will most likely be not available against Brentford.
"Edinson Cavani is supposed to come back to training tomorrow but, then again, the question is he has been missing for the last four or five weeks. Is he really a player who could then play against Brentford? Probably not to start with, but at least from the bench. Jesse was missing for personal family reasons today. I hope some of those players will be back on Monday.
"He (Sancho) definitely has an inflammation on his tonsils and has also had some high temperatures, that's why he was not available for tonight and he almost certainly won't be available for the next couple of games.
"So, hopefully, they can get hold of that inflammation and if the tonsils have to be taken out and removed, this can happen at the end of the season."
