Wayne Rooney has accused some of Manchester United’s injured players of deliberately ducking out of games to protect themselves for the FA Cup final or the upcoming European Championship.
A makeshift United slumped to their second successive league defeat with a 1-0 loss against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The result sees the Gunners return to the top of the Premier League table, while Erik ten Hag’s side are now in danger of missing out on European football altogether next season.
United currently have 10 players unavailable through injury – the most of any club in the league – but former captain Rooney believes that some players are deliberately opting out with the Cup final and Euros on the horizon.
‘There are some very good players in that squad and the performances are way below par,’ he said on Sky Sports after the game.
‘Look at the injuries they have picked up. Some of those players can play. A hundred per cent. You’ve got a European Championship coming up, an FA Cup final coming up.
‘Because they are getting a little bit of stick now, it is easy for players to stay out of it a little bit and then come back towards the final and get themselves fit for the European Championship.
‘I have seen it myself over the years. I just think the players who have been injured, they are not filling themselves with any credit at the minute and the manager is going to take all the stick for that.’
Roy Keane echoed Rooney’s fears, suggesting it was alarming that players were not ‘desperate’ to get back fit and playing.
‘It is not a good sign if players do not want to come back from injury and play,’ Keane added.
‘You will always have those that are carrying injuries but you’d hope they would be desperate to get back playing football.
‘There are always a few players at a club that drag their heels with injuries, but generally and thinking of players I played with, if you give them a length of time they’ll be out for, they will look to knock a week or two off that.
‘Sometimes when it is a certain time of the season or players are lacking confidence they are not in a hurry to get back in the team.’
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