United get Rooney boost

Manchester United are set to welcome back striker Wayne Rooney for the Premier League clash at Newcastle tonight. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson expects to have the England forward available after he did not even make the substitutes' bench for the 3-2 home defeat to Blackburn on New Year's Eve.


Wayne Rooney

Press Association Sport understands Ferguson did fine Rooney, and Darron Gibson, and forced the pair to train on their day off last week after ill-advised conduct on Boxing Day night. Neither the club nor the player's representative wished to elaborate on the matter, nor even to confirm Rooney was axed from Saturday's defeat.

Ferguson told Sirius XM radio station: "Wayne Rooney will be available of course. We had a few training sessions which he missed. You've got to be fit to play in this league, you can't miss training sessions."
United wereu00a0 granted a reprieve thanks to Sunderland's late win over leaders Manchester City.