Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney (right) trains in Manchester on September 14, 2016 © AFP / Paul Ellis
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, Sep 14 – Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney will be rested along with several other stars for the club’s Europa League group match with Dutch side Feyenoord in Rotterdam on Thursday.
The 30-year-old England skipper has been omitted by Jose Mourinho from the squad along with fellow first team regulars, defensive duo Luke Shaw and Ecuadoran Antonio Valencia.
Jesse Lingard and Armenian Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s hopes of a chance to prove themselves, after being unceremoniously substituted at half-time of the Manchester derby last weekend, have been dashed as they too remain behind.
Star young talent Marcus Rashford could get his first start of the campaign — having been restricted to cameo roles thus far — while others who have found it hard to get some action could also figure such as veteran Michael Carrick and Dutchman Memphis Depay.
United’s other opponents in Group A — a draw Mourinho compared to a Champions League group — are Turkish side Fenerbahce, for whom their former striker Robin van Persie plays, and Ukrainian outfit Zorya Luhansk.
