Wayne Rooney will not be boarding the Tuesday morning flight to Valencia because of an ankle injury. He won't be a part of the Manchester United squad for Wednesday's Champions League match against Valencia.
Rooney picked up an ankle injury in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Bolton and was substituted in the 61st minute. After the game, Assistant manager Mike Phelan said, he expected Rooney to be fit for Champions League duty, but that assessment proved to be wrong.
A statement on the Manchester United website said that "while the injury is not thought to be serious", Rooney would not be fit enough to be included.
I think its a blessing in disguise as Wazza has been looking very much off the pace recently. His performance against Bolton didn't provide even a glimpse of his masterclass.
There's no doubt that his confidence has taken a hit. He no longer runs on the pitch with the same enthusiasm and energy as he used to. The recent media outrage on his personal life has definitely cost Rooney a lot.
His absence for the crunch tie at the Mestalla Stadium would give the 24-year-old striker some time to get caught up. Hopefully, he can come back stronger after this break.
Manchester United would be hoping to forget their opening Group C game against Rangers which finished in a disappointing 0-0 draw. Valencia began their quest with a 4-0 defeat of Turkish team Bursaspor. The Spanish side are currently top of La Liga and looking in good rhythm.
In the absence of Wazza, Sir Alex looks very likely to pair Dimitar Berbatov with Michael Owen up front. I hope Owen repeats his spectacular performance tomorrow night, just like he did at the Volkswagen Arena last year to sink Wolfsburg.
