• Premier League

Rooney won't stay in midfield - Ferguson

ESPN staff
November 3, 2011
Wayne Rooney ran the show against Otelul Galati © Getty Images
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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson thought Wayne Rooney did "very well" in midfield during the 2-0 win over Otelul Galati - but intends to shuffle him further forward when the club's injury crisis eases.

Ferguson opted to play Rooney in central midfield for the Champions League clash at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The England international shone in an unfamiliar role, dictating the tempo of the game with his passing and earning the man of the match award.

But Ferguson, who has seen Rooney score nine goals in the league this season, thinks the striker is too ruthless upfront to consider permanently moving him from that area.

"It's conditional, really, in the sense of midfield players I have available," Ferguson said. "[Tom] Cleverley's still injured, Michael Carrick's just started to train today, he wasn't available yesterday [Wednesday], Darren Fletcher wasn't available yesterday - so therefore you're limited in the choice of midfield players.

"There was a thought to put Phil Jones in [midfield] and put [Ezekiel] Fryers in [defence] to give him a test. We decided to play Wayne because he's got the appetite for it and the energy levels for it. Last night his awareness of people around him was really really good. His first touch was excellent, which gave him the time to look up and move away from opponents. He did very well.

"But I'm not putting any marker down for that position for him. You want him to be in positions where he can get you more goals. I think that position is where he normally plays. It depends on what we've got in midfield."

Meanwhile, Ferguson faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of the injury Michael Owen sustained against Otelul Galati. Owen picked up the problem when darting to the near post during the move that led to Antonio Valencia's opening goal.

"We are assessing it," said Ferguson. "He is having a scan done but he won't be available for Saturday [against Sunderland]. Hopefully it is not too long but it is a killer because he has started the season very well. His performances in training have been terrific. We wouldn't have scored that goal if Michael had not made his run so it is a bit of a blow."

Anderson is a doubt for Sunderland, having suffered a "knock" in Wednesday's match.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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