Skip to main content

Mourinho drops Rooney from Man Utd squad

Wayne Rooney given time to rest by coach, Jose Mourinho

Wayne Rooney given time to rest by coach, Jose Mourinho

Striker Wayne Rooney has been left out of Manchester United’s 20-man squad for Thursday’s Europa League tie in Rotterdam against Dutch side Feyenoord.

Despite training on Wednesday, the 30-year-old captain will miss the club’s European opener, as will Luke Shaw, Antonio Valencia and Jesse Lingard.

Manager Jose Mourinho said Rooney had been rested in advance of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Watford.

Phil Jones is also absent after suffering lateral knee ligament damage.

The injury could sideline the defender for up to a month.

Mourinho wants a ‘fresh’ Rooney

“Wayne has played every game since the start of the season,” said Mourinho of his decision to leave his captain in Manchester for the Group A opener.

“He has also played 90 minutes for England and he played 90 minutes last weekend and I want him to be fresh for the next match. In the position he plays, I have lots of solutions.”

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager admitted the Europa League was not a competition the club wanted to be in, but said it was one they would aim to win.

“It’s not the big dream of every big player, but we are not in the Champions League,” added the Portuguese.

“We have to look at it with respect. I think we want to do well in the competition and for a club of our dimension to do well is not to be out in the group phase.”

Marcos Rojo will start in defence in place of England international Shaw, while Mourinho had previously stated that striker Marcus Rashford would make his first start of the season on Thursday.

“My option in the last four games in the Premier League was Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke and I think it is time for Marcos to play so it was a simple decision,” he said.

“Marcos is a very good player who is working really well and hard.”

Michael Carrick, Matteo Darmian, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Memphis Depay could also feature for Mourinho’s side after failing to make the squad for Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League home defeat by Manchester City.

Feyenoord are taking various measures for European home games this season in a bid to avoid triggering suspended punishments handed down by governing body Uefa for crowd trouble.

For Thursday’s match, the capacity at the De Kuip stadium will be reduced to 30,000 and additional stewards will be employed, while a 10m high net will surround the pitch.

Feyenoord have taken these measures in attempt to avoid Uefa sanctions following trouble at previous European games.

Manchester United squad: De Gea, Romero, Johnstone, Darmian, Bailly, Blind, Fosu-Mensah, Rojo, Smalling, Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Memphis, Pogba, Schneiderlin, Young, Ibrahimovic, Martial, Rashford

BBC Sport

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more