David De Gea will not be part of Manchester United’s season opener against Tottenham Hotspur as manager of the team, Louis Van Gaal is unsure of his state of mind amid transfer talks.

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Goalkeeper De Gea is a target for Real Madrid and although the 2014 European champions are yet to make an official bid for him, manager Van Gaal described the situation as a “problem” as he worries about the 24-year-old’s state of mind going into the season opener at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal did not confirm if new signing Sergio Romero will be given his debut at Old Trafford on Saturday but said in a news conference: “We have problems of course with De Gea. He shall not play. I think a human being is more than just a player. He cannot manage that. You have to wait and see who is starting.”

United had been holding out for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper and are willing to hold De Gea to the last year of his contract and risk losing him on a free transfer next summer.

However, Van Gaal suggested he is powerless to act in the whole saga, adding: “That is in process. I cannot lead this process. I can only watch and observe and that is what I am doing but I am not participating in the process.”‎