Louis van Gaal insisted he did not humiliate Radamel Falcao this week by having play for Manchester United's Under-21 team this week.

Falcao has only started one of United's last four matches and was not brought off the bench on Monday against Arsenal.

He said in a news conference: "I let my players play in the second squad. I read in a lot of papers that it is a humiliation. I don't think so.

"It is a professional attitude, of the manager, the management, the club, but especially of the player. Not only Falcao has played, also [Victor] Valdes and Rafa da Silva. Rafa da Silva played a very good match and scored a very good goal. Because of that, he can grow his confidence.

"That is a lower level and they can play more than 70 minutes. That is not normal in every training session. Every player needs match rhythm. We pay a lot for the players so it is normal they play football for us and that can be for the second team.

"Every player who does not play [in the first team] has to play sometimes. He needed to play more minutes in the second team. Falcao didn't play the best match in the second team but he tried to do his utmost best. More I cannot ask from players."