Rooney ready for United
Wayne Rooney has been passed fit for Manchester United's home game against West Brom.
There were fears that Rooney would miss the match at Old Trafford after he came off in the 88th minute of United's 3-0 defeat to Everton last Sunday following a kick to the knee.
But speaking to MUTV on Friday, manager Louis van Gaal confirmed his captain is available to play against the Baggies.
"Rooney is fit to play, it (the injury) was not so heavy as we expected," Van Gaal said.
Robin van Persie could start after scoring a brace in his second under-21 match following an ankle injury.
Phil Jones has returned to training this week after ankle troubles of his own but is unlikely to feature as he lacks match fitness.
The bad news for Van Gaal is that influential midfielder Michael Carrick remains out with a calf problem and Luke Shaw has been sidelined by another injury - this time to his groin.
Marcos Rojo still has an adductor injury and is therefore unlikely to play.
The week after returning from a six-match ban, Jonny Evans has suffered a nerve injury, which means Van Gaal may have to play Chris Smalling and Paddy McNair at centre-half again, as he did at Goodison Park.
"Shaw has a groin injury and Evans is injured also last week," the United manager told a press conference.
"He was six weeks not injured and then he can play and he is injured so that is unlucky."
With Rafael out for the rest of the season because of a rib injury, Van Gaal has five players unavailable.
That may seem bad but the problem was far worse at the start of the season. when the injury count ran into double figures.
Tony Pulis insists Van Gaal is under pressure to make Manchester United serious title challengers next season.
The West Brom head coach believes the Dutchman will be given the time David Moyes never got but needs to get United closer to the top of the Barclays Premier League.
They are fourth in Van Gaal's first season and look set to return to the Champions League after finishing seventh last year.
Van Gaal has ridden out a tough start but Pulis, who takes West Brom to Old Trafford on Saturday, is adamant he needs to deliver next season.
He said: "Louis has obviously spent a bit of money and brought quite a few players in, I think he has had a year to look at it. The difference from himself and (Jose) Mourinho was that Jose knew the league. This is Van Gaal's first season in the league. Next year he has to come close to winning the league, he'll know that.
"It's been great experience for him this year. I'm sure he'll add a few players to the squad next year. They'll want to win it, I see them getting stronger, I can't see them getting weaker.
"David didn't get it (time), but Louis has, most probably on the basis he has been successful at bigger clubs. He's won major titles at bigger clubs. He's earned it by what he's done elsewhere, that's a fact of life."
Pulis has a few injury doubts, but refused to name them, although Youssouf Mulumbu is back from suspension.
Source: PAR
