Johannesburg : Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney has been excluded from the 18-man squad for this week’s Europa League clash against Danish side FC Midtjylland.
The 30-year-old forward recently said that winning the Europa League or top four Premier League finish could save his side’s disappointing season.
“Obviously the Champions League is massive for this club and it was disappointing to go out of it. We’ll keep going in the league, keep trying. But our main aim has to be to make sure we can get in that top four,” Rooney said.
Besides Rooney, midfielder Marouane Fellaini has also been left out from the team, while Matteo Darmian will also miss the upcoming match after suffering from a shoulder injury during United’s humiliating 1-2 defeat against Sunderland.
Meanwhile, Regan Poole, Joe Riley and James Weir will make their debut when they take on Midtjylland at MCH Arena on Thursday.
United are currently fifth in league table and are six points behind Manchester City, which have entered the pre-quarters of the Champions League. The Louis Van Gaal-led side will play their next league match against Arsenal on February 28.
