Rooney Back Earlier, Again

United's hopes of fielding an entire team against Newcastle have received a considerable boost as Wayne Rooney came through a week of double-trainig session without a problem and declared himself fit for the Premiership opener.

The young striker was struck down by a virus but apparently now he's over his illness. If he's fit indeed it is great news as United are short on numbers in practically every single department bar the defence.

Louis Saha, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Nani, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson, Ji-sung Park are all definitely out of the game which created something of a selection dilemma for Sir Alex but with Rooney fit we'll be spared of seeing John O'Shea as a left winger...



But Rooney wasn't supposed to be fit for this game: before the Community Shield, Sir Alex practically ruled him out. What happened?

Well, the usual, I guess. Rooney has a knack of returning from injuries sooner than initially expected - I just hope that not this trait is responsible for his proneness to injury which seems to have increased in the last couple of years. Of course it's only a virus this time, no metatarsal break or muscular injury.

If Rooney starts then it's easy to predict the first XI: Van der Sar; G. Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs; Rooney, Tevez.

Substitutions? Who needs them? Brave men fight without men, subs are the refugee of the weak! (hint: I'm not entirely serious...)

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