The 19-year-old's fight for a first-team place this season has been hampered by injury in recent weeks, and is set to remain with the club despite the interest of several sides

By Graeme Bailey

Manchester United have rejected a number of loan offers for striker James Wilson, Goal understands.



The 19-year-old's fight for a first-team place this season has been hampered by a hamstring injury in recent weeks, but he has been an important part of Louis van Gaal's plans, with the Dutch boss making frequent references to the youngster's pace.



Nevertheless, Van Gaal and his backroom staff have been weighing up the possibility of allowing Wilson to leave the club on loan ahead of Thursday's deadline, and Goal understands more than half a dozen Championship clubs have registered their interest in acquiring his signature.



Derby County, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Watford are all understood to have expressed a desire to sign Wilson, should United allow him to leave, while Bolton also enquired back in December.



But Van Gaal has decided that Wilson is needed for the Premier League run-in, with the club currently fourth in the table following their 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Wilson's recent injury struggles are not considered serious by the club, but he has been put on the same muscle-gaining fitness programme as Angel Di Maria.



