Man United ace Wayne Rooney will reportedly miss his side’s encounter with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday after picking up a muscular injury.
The 30-year-old is understood to have picked up the problem in training, and hasn’t travelled with the rest of the squad to London, as reported by Sky Sports.
It’s reported that United left for the capital on Saturday afternoon, but Rooney wasn’t part of the group as he now looks to recover from the setback and return to full match fitness as soon as possible.
Although the England international has been on the bench for the last three Premier League games, he remains an important part of Jose Mourinho’s plans.
It’s debatable as to whether or not he would have kept his place after starting against Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday night, but ultimately the decision has been made for Mourinho as he will now likely bring Zlatan Ibrahimovic back into his starting line-up.
It will be a frustrating setback for Rooney though as he continues to battle for his future in the starting line-up for both club and country, with the muscular injury ensuring that he’ll have to be patient and careful not to aggravate it further.
Having come under significant criticism from certain sections of supporters and pundits alike, it’s been a difficult season thus far and he’ll be desperate to prove his critics wrong and play an influential part in United’s season.
The Red Devils have a dismal record at Chelsea, but they’ll be hoping to change that when they face off with Antonio Conte’s men on Sunday.