Ander Herrera is clear to concentrate on playing for Manchester United for the rest of the season after the match-fixing case in Spain in which he may be called to give evidence was postponed until the close season.

A hearing called for Thursday has been put back until the summer because not all of the 41 potential witnesses have been located.

Herrera strongly denies any wrongdoing and has said his “conscience is clear”. The midfielder may be called to court over allegations that a match in May 2011 between Levante and his former club Real Zaragoza was illegally interfered with to ensure the latter won to avoid relegation. Zaragoza claimed a 2-1 victory.

The United manager Louis van Gaal, speaking on Tuesday before the postponement, said Herrera could have been distracted by having the case hanging over him.

“The environment [around] a human being is very important,” he said. “When it is like that he [Herrera] will be influenced.”