United’s visit to Milton Keynes could be a shop window or a sales pitch to Louis van Gaal for the Reds’ fringe players.

It is clear already that the manager’s much-voiced ‘philosophy’ is claiming victims among the Old Trafford ranks. Mancunian striker Danny Welbeck, for one, appears not to have impressed LVG with his ability to adapt to the style he is determined to enforce at United.

Though LVG gave a non-committal response to questions over whether or not the 23-year-old England striker has been told he can leave his boyhood idols, there is no doubt that Welbeck is on a tightrope.

If he hasn’t already been privately informed his United days are over then there may still be a window of opportunity to prove to the United boss that he can learn to conform to the new ideas.

Certainly Welbeck’s pace and ability to unsettle Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and get behind their backline better than anyone else in his half-hour spell as substitute, suggests that all might not quite be lost for him at his dream club.

And that may see van Gaal being more flexible in his thinking.

Shinji Kagawa might have a similar slither of hope as he contemplates how he has plummeted from Sir Alex Ferguson’s £24m capture from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2012 to a virtual outcast under LVG.

The Reds boss was fairly brutal in his answer to a question at Sunderland as to why the Japanese international, who was on the bench, was overlooked for a central midfield role in favour of Adnan Januzaj when Darren Fletcher was brought off in the second half.

Kagawa had clearly blown his chance on the tour of the America.

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“Kagawa I have tried to play him in that position in the USA and he could not fulfil my wishes, my philosophy,” said van Gaal.

“We have spoken about it. He is more a number 10 but Mata is playing in the number 10 role so I thought I had to change the other players and that is why I chose Januzaj because of creation.

“Kagawa can also create but I asked Januzaj if he played in midfield in Belgium and could he do it. So I said to him: ‘You are on the bench as a midfielder’. I want him to focus on it. You could see he hasn’t played many times there but he did his utmost best. I cannot demand more.”

After the rigours of the pre-season slog around the US and a home warm-up against Valencia before two Premier League matches, van Gaal could look to freshen up his jaded and ponderous looking side against MK Dons in the Reds first League Cup second-round tie since 1995.

With midfielders Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini both out with ankle injuries – though the timescale of their absence has yet to be confirmed by the club – it leaves avenues open in the engine room for reputations to be repaired.

Welbeck and Kagawa, however, could also be checked out by potential suitors during the game, with United looking to recoup some of the near £150m they will have shelled out this summer once the Angel Di Maria move from Real Madrid is successfully finalised.

United’s defensive injury problems and the wait for £16m signing Marcos Rojo’s work permit could mean a young back-line will feature against MK Dons.

Chris Smalling was forced off at Sunderland with a groin injury and is awaiting a scan.

But it leaves a back three of Michael Keane, Phil Jones and Tyler Blackett, which finished at Sunderland likely to start at Stadium MK tonight.

“Both of them (Keane and Blackett) did a really great job,” said Jones.

“Tyler looked very comfortable and Mike came on and did equally well. Defensively they were very good.”