De Gea can deal with Manchester United pressure, says Mignolet

Liverpool shot-stopper Simon Mignolet has little doubt David de Gea will become Manchester United’s number one again in the not too distant future.

The Spain international had lost his starting berth to Sergio Romero due to the uncertainty about his future at United, with Real Madrid keen to lure him away from Old Trafford.

His proposed transfer to Real eventually fell through, though, and De Gea could make his comeback for Louis van Gaal’s side in Saturday’s match against Liverpool.

“It is always difficult to tell what is going on looking from the outside. The only thing I know is he is a very good goalkeeper who has proved himself to be very important for Manchester United over time. I think he has all the abilities to play again,” Mignolet said.

“The mental aspect of being a goalkeeper is very important so you have to go into the game with full concentration and confidence. That is a big part of your game and the Premier League is the most demanding league for any goalkeeper.

“When you are in a good frame of mind then the performance is going to be better. That is logical but I cannot say what is happening in his head.

“He played with Spain on Tuesday and he was ready then. He kept a clean sheet. But we have to look at ourselves and focus on our own jobs. It’s for Manchester United to judge whether he is in a good frame of mind to play.”

De Gea kept 10 clean sheets in 37 Premier League appearances in 2014-15.