Wayne Rooney’s Injury Woes
Still smarting from the 3-0 loss to Everton last Sunday, Manchester United has been rocked even further with reports stating that club captain Wayne Rooney may be ruled out for the remainder of the season with a ligament injury.
Rooney, who tweaked his knee after a collision with teammate Ander Herrera, limped off in the 88th minute, and initial reports have indicated that he was going to miss the next two games for United – a home game vs. West Bromwich Albion and a trip to Crystal Palace.
After 2 straight defeats, United can ill-afford to lose its leading scorer, and with midfield general Michael Carrick still sidelined, the club’s bid to stay in contention for an automatic Champions’ League spot is in jeopardy. They currently sit in 4th place, just 2 points behind Manchester City and Arsenal, who sit in 2nd and 3rd with 65 points and are separated by goal difference.
The home fixture on May 17th against Arsenal was looming large on the horizon, especially with the Gunners holding a game in hand. If Rooney (and Carrick) are unable to play, United will face an uphill task in this rivalry game. To compound matters, Arsenal will hold the added mental edge of having defeated United at Old Trafford already this season, as Danny Welbeck scored the winner against his former team in their FA Cup quarterfinal matchup.
As manager Louis van Gaal prepares for this coming weekend, he has the option of fielding Robin van Persie, who is himself recovering from an injury but should be fit in time to make the starting eleven; Radamel Falcao, whose touch has been improving but is still generally struggling to regain his explosive form; or even young James Wilson, who is fit but has yet to play a senior game for United since a substitute’s appearance against West Ham in February.
