Man Utd Team News: Mourinho Confirms Double Injury Blow Ahead Of Boro Game

Manchester United will be looking to keep the pressure on the top four when they take on Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve.

Ahead of the game, Jose Mourinho has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference this afternoon and he’s offered a team news and injury update.

Unfortunately the United boss confirmed that Wayne Rooney will once again miss out after failing to recover from a thigh injury that kept him out of the win over Sunderland last time out.

Rooney sustained the injury in training on Christmas Day and Mourinho doesn’t know when the skipper will be available again meaning the 31-year-old is also likely to sit out the trip to West Ham on January 2nd.

In a double blow, Mourinho also revealed that while Luke Shaw is back training after recovering from a niggling ankle injury he doesn’t think the defender is ready to return to the starting eleven just yet.

Shaw hasn’t featured in any of United’s last nine games in all competitions since aggravating the injury back in early November but we’ll have to wait and see whether he’s passed fit to return against the Hammers in the New Year.

Here is what Mourinho told reporters today:

Jose Mourinho tells #MUTVHD: "Luke Shaw is training without any problem, but I don't think he's ready to start. Rooney is still injured."

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 30, 2016

In Shaw’s continued absence, Mourinho will have to decide whether to stick with Daley Blind at left-back or recall Matteo Darmian to the starting eleven against Middlesbrough.

Otherwise United have no other injury problems to deal with as they look to make it five league wins on the bounce and close the gap on fourth-placed Arsenal to just a single point with victory over Boro tomorrow.