Rooney ruled out for up to two months with knee ligament damage

Wayne Rooney has been ruled out for up to two months after suffering knee ligament damage, with the striker left at home while the rest of the Manchester United club travel to Denmark to take on MC Midtjylland in the Europa League last-32 first leg.

The news is expected to be confirmed by United manager Louis van Gaal when he holds a press conference in Herning, and comes as a huge blow to United’s hopes of challenging for a top
four finish.

With Rooney not expected to return until mid- April, United will be without their captain for the crucial visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford a week on Sunday as well as the Manchester derby on 20 March, and he could also miss the trip to Tottenham on 9 April depending on how his
rehabilitation goes.

Rooney’s absence will also force England manager Roy Hodgson to shuffle his plans for the international friendlies against Germany and
the Netherlands, although Hodgson is expected to use the fixtures to give a number of fringe players the chance to cement their place in the
squad for the Euro 2016 championship in summer.

Having been knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage in December, Van Gaal must now prepare his side for an assault on the Europa League in what could prove to be back-route into next season’s Champions League.

With United sitting in fifth in the Premier League table, six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City, Van Gaal has already admitted that qualifying for the competition will be “very difficult”.