Wayne Rooney looks set to be fit for Manchester United’s game against West Brom on Saturday. With Zlatan Ibrahimovich still suspended, it’s the perfect game for Rooney to start.
Wayne Rooney doesn’t start too many games for Manchester United these days. Rightly so. Although, the Red Devils play a game this weekend that should see Rooney back in the starting lineup.
Zlatan Ibrahimovich will be serving the final game of a three-match ban against West Brom at Old Trafford. On top of that, Jose Mourinho has a slew of other selection headaches with an abundance of players absent for various reasons.
The defense is missing numerous players, whilst the midfield will be missing Mourinho’s favored two central midfielders, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera. Replacing Ibrahimovich upfront seems to be less of a priority, with Marucs Rashford expected to fill in.
However, for this game, it is Rooney that would actually be the better fit. Everybody knows what Tony Pulis’ West Brom will do at Old Trafford. There will be 11 men behind the ball, sat deep, being compact and tough to break down. There will be no space for the home team.
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What space there will be will be found on the flanks. United need to use the large amount of possession they are going to be granted to move the ball wide and put dangerous crosses – low and high – into the box. Get to the byline, drive into the penalty area.
A player like Rashford, with his strengths, will not be needed as much centrally. There will be no space to run into behind the defense. What United will need upfront will be a player who can poach a goal in the penalty box.
A player who can score with either foot, or with his head. An experienced goalscorer. Mourinho has that man in Wayne Rooney. The 31-year-old has had a knee injury recently, but is expected to be fit for the Baggies clash.
It is the ideal game for Rooney at this point. Mourinho could even play Rooney and Rashford together in a pairing if he wanted. The home team will have so much possession anyway, that they could afford an extra striker.
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Rashford could play wide, also, with his pace having more space to exploit on the flanks than there will be centrally. In the middle, it will be tight. But Rooney has the experience, the movement and the striker’s instinct to find that half a yard of space when needed.
There aren’t many games Rooney should be starting for Manchester United these days, but with Ibrahimovich still unavailable, West Brom at home on Saturday is one of them.