Manchester United face no choice but to play David De Gea at Liverpool next week.

Spaniard De Gea, 20, has enjoyed mixed fortunes since arriving from Atletico Madrid this summer in an £18.3m deal, while Lindegaard has piled the pressure on his rival.

But Dane Anders Lindegaard, 27, suffered an ankle injury during United's home win over Norwich last ­weekend and was forced to withdraw from the Denmark squad last night.

Lindegaard said: "I got a stamp on my ankle at the start of the match on Saturday and should have come off.

"I chose to carry on and paid the price. And although I have to sit on the couch with my leg up now, it was incredibly important to me to play.

"The medical staff at United­ ­believe that the earliest I could train again is next week."