Report: Rooney to miss Chelsea clash with muscle problem

A substitute for Manchester United's past three Premier League matches, captain Wayne Rooney will not be available entirely for Sunday's match at Chelsea.

Sky Sports' Andy Burton understands United left for west London without Rooney, who apparently suffered a muscular injury in training.

His absence removes any potential tactical dilemma from Jose Mourinho's plans. Public opinion has turned against Rooney after a series of underwhelming performances - particularly in a 3-1 defeat to Watford on Sept. 18.

Shortly after, Mourinho made the decision to drop the all-time record England scorer from his Premier League starting XI.

Rooney returned to the lineup for Thursday's Europa League fixture against Fenerbahce, a 4-1 win at Old Trafford in which he recorded an assist.

But the subsequent injury robbed him of a chance to challenge Marcus Rashford or Zlatan Ibrahmovic for a starter's berth Sunday.

A win over Antonio Conte's Chelsea would vault United into fifth place.