Wayne Rooney played 61 minutes of Manchester United's under-21 match against Middlesbrough, reports the Daily Mail.

Rooney played 61 minutes of Manchester United's under-21 match against Middlesbrough, reports the Daily Mail.

Analysis:

Manager Louis van Gaal and Ryan Giggs were on hand to watch the striker's return, and featuring 61 minutes could mean that he is in contention to make a return against West Ham in Wednesday's FA Cup replay. The performance indicates that the striker is at least fit enough to be named as a substitute this week.