Louis van Gaal expects David de Gea to play for Manchester United against Barcelona on Saturday after the goalkeeper’s absence because of injury in the opening matches of the summer tour of America.

With only two more warm-up games until the start of the season the manager needs De Gea to find his match rhythm before Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to Old Trafford on 8 August.

The Real Madrid target, whose future at United remains unclear, had complained of a back problem. De Gea missed the opening tour match against Club América in Seattle last Friday. The goalkeeper went to hospital there for tests but the precise nature of the complaint was not revealed.

Before Tuesday evening’s second match at San Jose Earthquakes Van Gaal ordered De Gea to take part in the warm-up despite the Spaniard being unavailable to play. Sam Johnstone played all of the game, which United won 3-1, because Ander Lindegaard was injured but Van Gaal is intent De Gea should face Barça in Santa Clara at the Levi’s Stadium.

The match against Barça and Wednesday’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in Chicago are United’s final two games before the Premier League begins.

Although De Gea could still depart for Real, Van Gaal is planning for the Spurs game with the Spaniard in the XI. As the manager does not like any player to be underprepared he requires De Gea to play against Barça and PSG. In each of these matches the manager should field his proposed starting XI against Spurs, for the first hour at least.

After the victory over the Earthquakes, Van Gaal said: “I have a good hope that he [De Gea] can play against Barcelona but he was still injured [for this match]. Lindegaard was also injured so it was difficult. I told David to go stand in the goal so we have a point of direction for my attackers, but don’t do anything to risk more injury because we have to build you up. I hope that he can play and I think he can.”

United’s stance is that De Gea can depart for Real only if Sergio Ramos is allowed to join the 20-times champions as part of the deal. However, Rafael Benítez, the coach, claimed the defender would stay at Real.

“Yes, for me, 100%,” he said. “Ramos is our player, he’s a key player for us, he’s the captain. I would like to see him [at the club] at the beginning of the season because I think he will be crucial for us during the season. I insist that it is clear for both me and the club that Sergio will be here.

“Football is a curious world, but he will be playing for us next season. I respect Van Gaal but what interests me is that Sergio continues. I want and expect that he will be here at the start of the season. He is fundamental.”

Despite United having only 180 minutes of game time before the season begins, Van Gaal denied his side could be undercooked. The manager said after the Earthquakes victory that he would organise an 11-v-11 match at United’s Carrington training complex that will allow him to coach his players intensely before facing Spurs.

But Van Gaal knows there is still much work to be done. “We have to improve our shape and, of course, our level and we have different organisations, so we have to play with different organisations,” he told MUTV. “Also, we have to improve every level that we have, in all the positions. And, of course, I have to select now already for the third match against Barcelona.

“Now 11 players can play 60 minutes and that’s a big difference, so the next match I will show already what I find from the first two matches because the players have to prove their level on the pitch.”

Ángel Di María, Marcos Rojo and Javier Hernández will join the squad on Saturday following a break after their involvement in the Copa América, though none can feature against Barça. “They all come on 25 July but they cannot play,” Van Gaal said. “It is the same with Bastian [Schweinsteiger]. You have to first train more and then we have to play 45 minutes. They can play maybe 30 minutes but I don’t think so because they had three weeks of holidays and I don’t know how they will come back. But it is possible because in three weeks you do not lose so much. Some players had five weeks’ holiday and then that is not possible [to play].”