Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and Chris Smalling missed the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa and only Smalling has an outside chance of returning against Newcastle at Old Trafford on Friday.
"For a few players it is fine because they are recovering quickly," Van Gaal told reporters.
"You also have players who are not recovering so quickly, so I have to rotate. I have a lot of injured players, that is the problem with these matches."
United's 1-1 draw at Villa ended a run of six successive wins which has lifted Van Gaal's side to third.
“We want to build a fortress at Old Trafford and we have made it that already because we have won a lot, and with great results," Van Gaal said.
"We have to continue, but there are no easy games in the Premier League.”
United travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and Stoke City on Thursday before an FA Cup third-round trip to Yeovil.
“My record in away matches as a coach is not so bad," Van Gaal said.
"Away, teams are more open and want to attack but here they want to defend. That is why we have to build up a certain playing style so we can dominate. I’m saying every week that we are dominating for 45 or 60 minutes. We have to dominate for 90 minutes.”
Radamel Falcao headed the equaliser against Villa, only his second goal for United, and Van Gaal is looking for more from the on-loan Colombian striker.
"He can be in great form, but the team has to be in great form. That allows Falcao to show his qualities," the Dutchman said.
"When the cross is not coming from Ashley Young, then he cannot show what he has done in the last match."
(Reporting by Ed Osmond, editing by Justin Palmer)
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