Chelsea v Manchester United: Wayne Rooney unlikely to feature as striker could be out for up to three weeks with groin injury
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Wayne Rooney is unlikely to
feature in Manchester United's trip to Chelsea on Sunday
GETTY IMAGES
David Moyes is without both Rooney and Robin van Persie and the England star could be out until January as he returns from a warm-weather break
Wayne Rooney looks certain to miss Manchester United’s crunch meeting with
Chelsea this weekend, with the groin injury suffered by the England striker
threatening to rule him out for up to three weeks.
Manager David Moyes confirmed that he sent Rooney to Egypt for
a warm-weather break in an attempt to improve his condition, while the rest of
the United squad were given the day off on Wednesday ahead of being assessed
upon their return.
Rooney was expected to report back today, which will give
United’s medical staff a clearer picture of how his recovery has gone, but it
seems that it is not good news as he is unlikely to feature at Stamford Bridge
on Sunday.
Moyes is already under pressure to deliver a top-four finish,
and Rooney’s absence has been compounded by the addition of the thigh injury
that is currently keeping fellow striker Robin van Persie on the sidelines.
Should Rooney be ruled out for the remainder of the month’s
action, he could also miss the Premier League fixtures with Cardiff and Stoke,
as well as the League Cup semi-final second leg against Sunderland next week,
where United will attempt to overturn a 2-1 deficit at Old Trafford.
It was after the first leg loss that Moyes made comments
questioning the officiating from referee Andre Marriner, where he was
subsequently charged with misconduct. The Scot has accepted the charge from the
Football Association and has requested a non-personal hearing from the
commission who will decide what his punishment is.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers last week received an £8,000
fine for a similar charge in which he questioned the integrity of referee Lee
mason during the defeat to Manchester City on Boxing Day. Moyes is likely to
receive a similar sanction, with both Stoke’s Mark Hughes and Chelsea’s Jose
Mourinho also required to cough up the same fee.
Heading into this weekend’s crucial encounter with the Blues,
captain Nemanja Vidic has called for his side to use January to show their
rivals that they are still capable of finishing in the top four come the end of
the season.
“We have to win regularly and in the next month we will know
exactly where we are,” said Vidic. “By the end of January and start of February
we will show what our position is and what our capability is in the Premier
League. Then, of course, the Champions League starts up again. This is an
important time for us and we all want to do well.”
Vidic went on to back Moyes as he continues his attempt to lead
United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
“The manager is a good character and does that [manages the
squad] but it's up to the players too. We're a group and it's a group
responsibility to deal with those situations,” added the Serbian defender
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