“Absolutely,” agreed Ferguson, when asked if that was the case. “There is no question about that. His fitness is good and maybe it will take two or three games but they will help to get him back as quick as we can.
“But this is a high profile match, on a terrific pitch, in a great stadium with a terrific atmosphere. All the signs are plus ones, particularly for a player of Wayne’s ability.”
Rooney himself, meanwhile, says he understands the anger harboured by Manchester United fans concerning his initial refusal to sign a new contract, but insists he always wanted to stay.
“I can understand their frustrations with the contract negotiations. It happened in the public eye, which made it difficult, and I did make the club aware of my concerns,” he told MUTV. “The media also made a big thing of it (Dubai) but it’s happened in the past – it was just the time it came out.
“But I always made it aware I wanted to be at this club. I read that I have agreed a new deal so that the club can agree a higher price with a different team somewhere down the line. It is a load of rubbish.”