United captain Rooney benched for Leicester visit

Jose Mourinho has done it.

Following weeks of debate surrounding Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney's credentials for a starting berth in Mourinho's starting XI, the Portuguese has dropped the forward for Saturday's visit from Leicester City.

In his stead, Juan Mata has been entrusted with the No. 10 role, where he'll busy himself behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard working either side him on the flanks.

When asked about Rooney's demotion to the substitutes' bench by BBC Sport, Mourinho claimed the treatment the Scouser received when skippering England at Euro 2016 had a detrimental affect on his confidence.

"I think there was a Wayne before the Slovakia-England and a Wayne after the Slovakia-England," Mourinho said.

He added: "(In) football everyone is the same and if he has to go on the bench, he goes on the bench. If he has to stay at home, he stays at home.

"But that doesn't mean that you don't trust him or you have a problem. Not at all.

"We have no problems. He is our captain but, of course, no privilege - he is like anyone else."

Marouane Fellaini has also been dropped in favour of Spaniard Ander Herrera, who'll graft alongside Paul Pogba.

Claudio Ranieri's Leicester, meanwhile, is unchanged from last week's 3-0 win over Burnley, meaning Ron-Robert Zieler continues to cover for the injured Kasper Schmeichel in goal, and the forward line is spearheaded by Jamie Vardy and Islam Slimani.

Here are the team sheets:

Manchester United starting XI: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind; Pogba, Herrera; Rashford, Mata, Lingard; Ibrahimovic

Subs: Romero; Fosu-Mensah, Marcos Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Young, Rooney

Leicester starting XI: Zieler; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Amartey, Albrighton; Slimani, Vardy

Subs: Hamer; Hernandez, King, Hamer, Schlupp, Okazaki, Gray, Ulloa