Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of Manchester Unitedβs Europa League game with Ajax tomorrow evening. Sir Alex Fergusonβs afternoon press conference revealed the striker has been struggling with a throat infection for a week and, with a 2-0 first leg advantage, will not be risked against the Dutch side.
Rumours were rife this morning of a possible absence- reports had indicated Rooney had missed training and have subsequently proven to be correct. United have since published details on their official site, with Ferguson going on to say:
Rooney’s out for tomorrow. He has a bad throat. There were traces of it in Amsterdam last Thursday and he’s been in bed for a lot of the weekend. He came in this morning for the first time. We’re trying hard to get him ready for Sunday [at Norwich].
With Dimitar Berbatov back in contention after recovering from a knock, the blow is slightly lessened for United but the news is a significant worry for Fantasy managers. Over 46,000 have transferred Rooney in this week prior to the championsβ trip to Norwich- only Demba Ba has been more popular.
Back-to-back braces against Chelsea and Liverpool have seen Rooneyβs stock soar, with his price rising 0.2 over the last couple of gameweeks. With Unitedβs schedule looking particularly enticing from gameweek 28 onwards, many have overlooked the likes of Sergio Aguero, despite home fixtures with Blackburn and Bolton up next for City.
While Ferguson hasnβt ruled him out for the visit to Carrow Road, Rooneyβs owners will be anxiously awaiting the United managerβs regular Friday morning update, where more light will hopefully be shed on his chances of recovery. Any absence could mean a simple short-term switch to Aguero and, with Ba also afforded two home games – against Wolves and Sunderland- the alternatives are clearly enticing.
