Manchester United’s hopes of knocking out Champions League holders Bayern Munich have been dealt a potentially devastating blow after it emerged that Wayne Rooney is a major doubt for next week’s quarter-final clash in Germany.
Rooney suffered a toe injury during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and is undergoing tests to make sure he has not suffered a hairline fracture. The England striker has been ruled out of this weekend’s trip to Newcastle and now faces a race against time to be fit for Wednesday’s second leg at the Allianz Arena.
‘It will be touch and go for Wayne for Wednesday,’ said United boss David Moyes, who is already without Robin van Persie for up to six weeks. ‘It’s a toe injury and they are never easy. You could see him limping in the game towards the end quite badly.
‘There is not an awful lot you can do with a toe injury. Sometimes you can feel better quite quickly and sometimes you need an injection possibly to play with it if it is bruising.
‘You have to make sure there isn’t a hairline fracture or crack in your toe. We will have all that checked.’
Rooney has been United’s talisman this season and is the club’s joint leading scorer with Van Persie on 17 goals, including four in the last four games.
It is understood that he suffered the injury before a late foul by Bastian Schweinsteiger that resulted in the Bayern midfielder’s sending-off and Rooney being accused of diving.
‘I didn’t think it was in that challenge, I thought it was done prior to that,’ added Moyes. It’s football.
‘You look at what Wayne has done for us in the last league games for instance. Against Aston Villa he scored two goals. There was a couple at West Ham including that special goal.
‘My focus is Newcastle and make sure we get a result there. Wayne has been an integral part of that because of the goals he scores for us. He is a miss for that never mind going forward.’
Rooney will be desperate to play but he will also want to manage the injury carefully with the World Cup around the corner.
Four years ago he suffered an ankle injury at the Allianz Arena when United last met Bayern in the Champions League quarter-finals, and his determination to play in the second leg – eventually limping off after 55 minutes at Old Trafford – was later blamed for a poor showing at the 2010 World Cup.
With Van Persie receiving treatment for a knee injury in Holland and not expected back until next month, Moyes may have to rely on Danny Welbeck in Munich.
The England striker was one of United’s biggest threats in the first leg but was also guilty of an awful miss when he only had Manuel Neuer to beat but aimed a cheeky chip straight at the Bayern keeper.
Moyes said: ‘I think I was more annoyed because I thought “what an opportunity, go on, slot it in”.
‘I actually thought the goalkeeper gave him a little bit of an angle to the side. So I was more disappointed he didn’t take it because it was a big chance in a game like that. I was annoyed he hadn’t taken that on and had a go at passing it down the side of him.
‘But he played well in midweek. I think he has the fear factor because he has the ability to run away from people. He’s got really strong upper body strength, which sometimes people don’t give him credit for.
‘There have always been questions about his finishing when he gets in, and you would back that up with the other night. Last year, he only scored two goals but this year you would say he’s had a contribution and his goals have been important to us at different times, so I’d like to think he’s got better.’
Ryan Giggs will also be absent from the Newcastle game as he battles to shake off a hamstring strain in time for Munich, but United’s defensive injury crisis is showing signs of easing with Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans close to a return.
(From Mail Online)
