Rooney faces three weeks out

Wayne Rooney will miss the rest of Manchester United’s festive

programme after injuring knee ligaments in training.

The striker has been ruled out for between two and three weeks

with the problem, which kept him out of a thrilling Boxing Day

victory over Newcastle.

Rooney’s replacement Javier Hernandez scored an injury-time

winner in a 4-3 success which put United seven points clear at the

top of the Premier League.

And after the game Sir Alex Ferguson told MUTV the reason for

Rooney’s omission from the 18-man squad.

He said: “It was a volley towards the end of training. He did a

ligament at the back of his knee and could be out for two to three

weeks.”

Ferguson’s worst-case scenario would see the England

international miss Premier League games against West Brom, Wigan

and Liverpool and the FA Cup third round tie at West Ham.