Van Gaal taking no risks with Robben

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal said Monday that he would not risk winger Arjen Robben in Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Manchester United unless he was 100 percent fit.

Robben appeared as a second-half substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 Bundesliga defeat against Stuttgart, but the 14-goal winger seemingly suffered a recurrence of a calf strain late in the game.

But van Gaal insisted that the Bundesliga’s joint top scorer with Mario Gomez was not injured but simply tired.

“I don’t want to take the slightest risk with Robben,” said van Gaal.

“He’s not injured but his muscles are tired. I have to be sure that he’s 100 percent. He can’t be 80 percent and if it’s the case for Robben he won’t play.”

Robben did not start the weekend Bundesliga game and did not take part in training on Monday as a precautionary measure.

“I wanted to protect him (by not starting the Stuttgart match),” said van Gaal.

“Arjen and the doctor said everything was okay, but a player like him who does so many dribbles in a match has to be protected.

“Tuesday we’re playing a very important match we’re going to do everything to ensure he is in form.”

Van Gaal added that Gomez, who has returned from and calf injury, would not start Tuesday’s game, but refused to reveal whether French international winger Franck Ribery would play.

Bayern host English champions United in the first leg of their quarter-final and a decision on Robben’s fitness could be taken as late as the day of the game.