Robin van Persie will miss the start of the Premier League season in a bid to regain full match fitness after the World Cup.

Van Persie, 30, has not travelled with the rest of the United squad to America following his exploits with the Netherlands in Brazil as De Oranje reached the semi-finals.

Manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed Van Persie will resume light training at Carrington today but will not be rushed back into firstteam action.

“When a player has been on holiday for three weeks they have to train,” Van Gaal said. “I’m sorry but players have to train and Robin needs a full training regime behind him before he can play again.

"People can criticise me for my decision but I know what to do with players who have had three weeks’ holiday.

“Hopefully, Robin will get his fitness back very fast but, for now, he won’t play. Robin wants to play every game, I know that, but so do the other 30 players in the squad.”

Meanwhile, ahead of United’s International Champions Cup final against Liverpool in Miami tonight (kick-off 04:00, UAE time), Reds striker Daniel Sturridge has returned to England with a hamstring injury.

Sturridge tweaked his hamstring before Liverpool’s 2-0 win over AC Milan on Saturday and has joined Adam Lallana and Jon Flanagan in flying back to Liverpool for rehab.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “It was just best to get him back early, back to the training ground so he could get some treatment there.

“He had a really slight feeling in his hamstring. It’s nothing major.”