Manchester United vs Arsenal - Rooney ready to play after weekend that didn't go well



Posted Saturday, November 19, 2016 by PA

Jose Mourinho admits last weekend "didn't go well" for England captain Wayne Rooney, but the Manchester United manager says that chapter is closed for the fit-again forward.

The 31-year-old's difficult start to the season continued on international duty, with his starting role in last Friday's World Cup qualifying win against Scotland followed by injury and controversy.

Rooney missed the 2-2 draw with Spain due to a minor knee complaint but has dominated the headlines since then, with the Sun newspaper printing images showing the England skipper, wearing a training top, looking the worse for wear.

The forward is alleged to have dropped in on a wedding party at The Grove hotel until the early hours of Sunday, leading him to "unreservedly" apologise to interim manager Gareth Southgate, the Football Association and young fans.

"Over the last two or three days, nothing happened," Rooney's club manager Mourinho said on the eve of his side's game against Arsenal. "He trained like everybody else, he wants to play like everybody else. He is ready.

"What happened in the national team, happened in the national team. I don't comment.

"My players when they go to the national team, they belong to the national team. What happens there for good, for bad. I don't interfere and I don't like to comment.

"Sometimes they come back stronger than when they left us, because something good happened there, something positive for them, good performances, good results.

"Other times injuries, sometimes big injures, other times frustrations because they didn't play, because the result was bad.

"In this case, we know what didn't go well. But national team is a different chapter and a chapter that is closed now until I think March or the end of February."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will serve a one-match ban against the Gunners.

Ander Herrera is available after a serving a one-match ban at Swansea before the international break, but Eric Bailly (knee) is expected to be joined on the sidelines by Antonio Valencia (arm) and Chris Smalling (foot).

Luke Shaw (leg) is fully fit and will be hoping to return to the squad, while midfielder Marouane Fellaini (calf) is a doubt.

Marcus Rashford is in line to start for United - but this time Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will know all about the England forward.

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in February, hitting a brace in United's 3-2 win over Wenger's side just days after scoring twice on his first-team debut against FC Midtjylland.

Rashford has now established himself in Mourinho's squad, starting five consecutive Premier League games for the Red Devils before being an unused substitute in their last match - a 3-1 win at Swansea.

Asked about Ibrahimovic's unavailability, Wenger instead focused on the man who will be looking to prevent Arsenal getting their first league win at Old Trafford in a decade.

"Certainly they would prefer to have him (Ibrahimovic)," he said.

"But we have as well players out and let's not forget, last year the guy who killed us was Rashford. So let's not speculate on any weakness of Man United."

The Frenchman, who goes in search of his first-ever Premier League win over Mourinho having failed to better his adversary in 11 previous meetings, also admits Rashford's impact came out of the blue last season.

"Yes of course," he replied when asked if Rashford had taken him by surprise.

"Maybe a bit less, because I watched him against a Danish team in midweek and he scored and I could see straight away that this guy could be dangerous.

"On crosses his movement was good, the way he moved in the box was strong. he took everyone by surprise because no one knew him in England."

Wenger will assess the fitness of forward Alexis Sanchez ahead of the game after he returned from international duty with Chile on Friday morning.

The 27-year-old has hit eight goals for the Gunners this season but, having scored twice for Chile in midweek despite carrying a hamstring injury, he could yet be forced to sit out the lunchtime kick-off.

Hector Bellerin is definitely out after injuring his ankle in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham ahead of the international break and joins Santi Cazorla, Lucas Perez, Per Mertesacker and former United striker Danny Welbeck in missing the trip to Old Trafford.

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