Man Utd Star To Miss Everton Clash + Defender A Major Doubt

Manchester United will be looking to build on their impressive EFL Cup quarter final win over West Ham when they head to Goodison Park to take on Everton on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately for boss Jose Mourinho, Wayne Rooney will miss the game against his boyhood club through suspension after the skipper picked up his fifth booking of the season against the Hammers last night.

Rooney returned to the starting eleven for the League Cup tie and put in an encouraging performance but it was marred by a silly booking with the 31-year-old shown a yellow card by referee Mike Jones for dissent after reacting angrily to being pulled up for an apparent foul on Edimilson Fernandes.

It means Rooney will now miss this weekend’s trip to Goodison Park – where he started his career – and Mourinho claims it was a harsh decision to book his captain as he feels there was no contact made with Fernandes.

The United boss is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail:

‘He is suspended for a foul when he did not touch the opponent and he cannot play against Everton,’

‘He cannot go back home for such a big match because of a situation where he didn’t touch the opponent.’

Rooney might not be the only player missing this weekend as Luke Shaw is a fresh injury doubt after being forced off during the 4-1 win over West Ham on Wednesday night.

After sitting out the Premier League draw last Sunday, Shaw returned to the starting eleven last night but the left-back was seen limping shortly before half-time and was replaced by Daley Blind at the break.

It remains to be seen how serious the issue is but Shaw will now be considered as a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Merseyside and could join fellow defenders Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling on the sidelines.

Bailly is back in training after recovering from a serious knee injury but needs more time to build on his fitness before he’ll be considered for the first team while Smalling is still nursing a broken toe.