Van Bommel was installed as captain by Jurgen Klinsmann last season following Oliver Kahn's retirement, but his choice was not without controversy, particularly when Klinsmann later dropped him after several poor performances.

Van Gaal has already made it clear that his captain will be the first name on his team sheet and, since Van Bommel's place in the midfield is no longer guaranteed, he could be stripped of the armband.

The Dutch coach will wait until after the two-week training camp in Donaueschingen, when he has a clearer picture of his ideal team, before making his choice.

"We can decide that later, it is not so important for me," he said. "The important thing is that we make a good decision."

Ribery's position in Van Gaal's team has already been decided, on the other hand.

"I have picked my system for him and based around him," he admitted. "He will be my playmaker."