Daley Blind tells Manchester United team-mates to 'work harder in training' to secure place in Louis van Gaal's expensive starting XI

Blind himself returned from a knee injury last weekend

Daley Blind is put through his paces during United training (GETTY IMAGES)

Daley Blind has told his Manchester United team-mates who are struggling to get into the most expensive XI ever assembled in Premier League history to work harder in training.

For the first time this season, Louis van Gaal is not blighted by injuries, with Ashley Young (hamstring) the manager's only concern.

Back in November, United fielded a starting XI worth a Premier League record £241m fopr their 1-0 loss at rivals Manchester City.

Blind, a £14m summer acquisition from Ajax, only returned from six weeks out with a knee injury, playing the full 90 minutes during Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Southampton.

"The prices in the team are expensive and the manager has said that as well so you have to train, every day, very hard to show yourself and show that you really want to play," the 24-year-old midfielder said.

"We are one team, we have to do it with each other, whichever 11 the coach chooses. We are supporting each other and it feels like a really great team."

Only yesterday, Radamel Falcao's agent said that his client, who joined United on a lucrative £6m loan move from Monaco this season, would play "90 minutes every game" for any other club in the world, and he does not know where the Colombian's future lies next season.

Falcao was dropped from the United squad to face Southampton on Sunday.

Radamel Falcao has scored only three goals for Manchester United (Getty Images)

"They have an absolutely great player, one of the best in the world, which, no doubt, would play 90 minutes every game in any other club," Jorge Mendes was quoted as saying.

"The truth is that, for the moment, we do not know what going to happen.

"What we know is that it will play in one of the best clubs in the world next season."