Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal bemoaned the lack of a winter break in the Premier League on Saturday.

Speaking after his side’s 3-0 win against Hull City — their third straight victory in the league for the first time since last December — van Gaal criticised the league’s winter schedule as his side prepare to face Stoke City tomorrow night. 

He said: “I am not happy but I can’t change it. I don’t think that it is good for the football players that they play two matches in two days and in the month of December it shall be like that.

“We also have family. I have also a wife, kids and grandchildren and I cannot see them at Christmas. 

“But I want to work in the Premier League so I have to adapt and I shall but I don’t think that it’s good for the players and neither for the family.”

Chris Smalling gave the home side the lead against the Tigers on 16 minutes, scrambling the ball over the line before Wayne Rooney scored his eighth goal in his last nine games for club and country just before half-time.

Robin van Persie rounded off a comfortable afternoon for the home side with a sensational shot past Alan McGregor on 66 minutes to end his recent goal drought.

But the victory had a shadow cast over it following injury to £59.7 million summer signing Angel di Maria — the 41st injury United have suffered this season — who limped off on 13 minutes ruling him out of tomorrow’s clash with Stoke.

“I think Di Maria was hamstring. He knows his own body very well because at once he said he had to come off, so maybe it is not too bad,” said van Gaal.

And there was more injury concern at the final whistle as Rooney limped off the pitch after banging his knee, but van Gaal did not believe the problem was too serious.

“He had a kick on his calf I believe,” he said. “He then had a kick on his knee but it was not too serious because he said he will play (against Stoke).”