Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is eager to smooth over any rift with Wayne Rooney after the star striker was dropped due to disciplinary issues for the defeat against Blackburn Rovers.


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Wayne Rooney: Reportedly ignored club curfew

Rooney was not even selected as a substitute for Saturday's shock 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford, despite Ferguson being forced to name five untested youngsters on the bench.

United remained silent when reports started to circulate on Sunday that Rooney had been punished for a boozy night out on Boxing Day, with Ferguson claiming: "Wayne hasn't trained well this week".

But it now appears that Ferguson was unhappy with Rooney and United team-mate Darron Gibson after they reportedly spent the night on the town and were unfit to train the following day. It's believed Ferguson fined the pair and forced them to train on their day off last week as punishment.

An Old Trafford source told The Sun: "The issue has been dealt with and the players involved have been disciplined. That's the end of it. There's no rift between Wayne and the manager. The matter is closed and Wayne will be available for selection against Newcastle."

Those views were echoed by the Rooney camp. "There is no long-term problem between Wayne and the manager," the source added. "Wayne wants to get on with his season now and doesn't want to make a big deal of this."

Ferguson is keen to move on from the issue, realising United need to regain their focus after being granted a Premier League reprieve thanks to Sunderland's late win over leaders Manchester City, who remain ahead only on goal difference.

It at least provided an upbeat ending to an eventful 70th birthday weekend for Ferguson - who, prior to the Blackburn game, confirmed his intention to remain at Old Trafford for another three years.

He will need Rooney, and to a lesser extent Gibson, on Tyneside against Newcastle as his team look to bounce back from a rudderless performance at the weekend that was condemned by 19-year-old Phil Jones.

"Too slow, too laboured," he said. "Our downfall was coming back too soon. We thought we had won it and we eased off. They punished us. On the manager's birthday as well."

The chances are Ferguson was not as measured in the dressing room afterwards.

Griping at referee Mike Dean over the penalty that allowed Ayegbeni Yakubu to put Blackburn ahead, Ferguson then branded the Nigerian's second and Grant Hanley's winner as "bad goals".

He pointedly avoided any criticism of David de Gea directly but after putting together a string of decent performances, the young keeper's failure to cope with the high ball was a throwback to his shaky early displays.

On Friday, Ferguson said De Gea would be in goal for the matches against Blackburn and Newcastle.

But Anders Lindegaard has conceded just once in seven outings and Ferguson must be tempted to make an immediate change.

"That third goal was a killer," admitted the United boss. "But we need to recover now. We are coming to a crucial part of the season and we want to make sure we come back from Newcastle with a proper result."

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Manchester United midfielder Anderson is out until February with a knee injury, Sir Alex Ferguson has said.


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Anderson leaves United's midfield a little short

Anderson, 23, missed a large part of 2010 with a knee injury and has been sidelined again since picking up the problem in the UEFA Champions League win over Otelul Galati at the start of November.

The complaint was not originally thought to be serious, but the Brazilian has now travelled to Portugal to see a specialist, which will keep him out of action well into the New Year.

''Anderson is out until February with a knee injury,'' Ferguson said. ''He's been sent to Portugal to see a specialist who operated on him before. Not good news.''

The news throws into chaos Ferguson's midfield plans given Tom Cleverley is also currently out of action with an ankle injury. However Ferguson, who was heavily linked with Luca Modric, Samir Nasri and Wesley Sneijder during the summer transfer window, insists he has no plans to dip into the January market.

''It is easy to say you are going to buy players but it is not easy to buy them for Manchester United, especially in January,'' he said. ''I do not see anyone who could make us a better team. There are two or three players but they are not available, so there is no point even going there.''

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Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley has been ruled out until Christmas with ankle ligament damage.


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Tom Cleverley trudges off at the Reebok Stadium

Cleverley, 22, suffered the injury in a Premier League game against Everton last month in his first comeback game from a previous foot problem. Although the injury wasn't thought to be serious, manager Sir Alex Ferguson fears it could now be worse than initially suspected.

"It is pretty long term,'' said Ferguson. "(He will be out until) Christmas time. It is unfortunate. It is worse than we thought.

"When he first came off against Everton he reported it as just a tightness, with a bit of pain. We have done scans again and the injury has recurred. We will have to give him a break.''

The news is a blow to United following the impact Cleverley had made since returning from his loan spell at Wigan Athletic.

Striker Michael Owen is expected to be out for a similar spell, while striker Danny Welbeck and defender Chris Smalling have also been ruled out of the approaching league fixture against Swansea City.

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Manchester United's gross debt has been cut to £433.2 million after posting a 16.5% increase in first-quarter turnover to £73.8m.


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Sir Alex Ferguson's delivery of success on the pitch has boosted Manchester United's financial standing

The Premier League champions reported growth in all areas, with their £40 million deal with training kit sponsors DHL helping the commercial side enjoy a rise of 22.3% to £29.6m.

After winning a record 19th English league title, United's status as top-flight winners saw their media revenues jump from £19.4m to £22.6m. Their domestic success also ensures they receive more of the Champions League pot and land a lucrative five-match tour of the United States.

The club have also been boosted by the news their matchday income has grown 9.6% to £21.6m, which is largely down to the completion of the Old Trafford quadrants. The luxurious facilities, finished in 2006, have finally lead to the first sell-out of seasonal hospitality boxes.

After a campaign that saw them land the title as well as reach the Champions League final, United may struggle to better their annual turnover of £331.4m and profits of £110.9m, particularly if rivals Manchester City maintain their strong start to the season.

The commercial side will be heavily relied upon to yield yet more financial gain, but commercial director Richard Arnold is relaxed about the outlook.

"There is only one Manchester United," he said. "Whilst a lot of the strategy is public knowledge, I am very fortunate to be with the club I am with and able to do these deals.

"A lot of hard work has gone into getting to the position we are in now and we are already looking to the future.

"If people want to recreate what we did five years ago that is up to them. It isn't other clubs that I worry about; it is what we are going to be doing in the future."

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Manchester United striker Michael Owen is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury.


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Michael Owen has scored three times in four matches for Manchester United this season

Owen, 31, suffered the problem during his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Otelul Galati on November 2, but it was not initially thought to be serious.

United have confirmed otherwise, though, with a club spokesman telling the club's official website: " Michael has a thigh muscle injury and will be out for six weeks or so.''

As a result, Owen is unlikely to be available to manager Sir Alex Ferguson until the Boxing Day clash with Wigan. If that proves true, he will miss nine games in all competitions, including the November 26 tie with former club Newcastle.

Owen, who joined United in 2009, has scored 17 goals in 52 appearances for the club, often from the bench or in cup competitions.

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