Jose Mourinho has revealed that Wayne Rooney may leave Manchester United this season in search of regular first-team football as the striker continues to be perpetually linked with a move away from the Old Trafford outfit.
Rooney has missed United’s last two games with a hamstring injury but returned to first-team training this week as Mourinho’s side prepare to take on St Etienne in the Europa League on Wednesday. Rooney has not travelled with the squad to France for the second-leg of the tie.
Rooney has struggled despite being club captain, to cement a place in the first team this season with Zlatan Ibrahimovic being the team’s sole striker and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial all nailing down places in the first XI in recent weeks.
Rooney, United’s record goalscorer with 250th goals, is contracted at United until 2019 but has attracted interest from the Chinese Super League in particular.
Speaking at his press conference before the team’s away trip to St Etienne, Mourinho said (via BT Sport) when asked about Rooney’s future at the club:
You’ll have to ask him. Of course I can’t guarantee (he will be here). I can’t guarantee that I’m here next week, how can I guarantee that a player is here next season?
What I can guarantee is that if Wayne one day leaves the club it is not because I want him to leave the club. That’s the only thing I can guarantee.
I would never push – or try to push – a legend of this club to another destiny.
So you have to ask him if he sees himself staying in the club for the rest of his career or if he sees himself moving. It is not a question for me because I am happy to have him.
Rooney is injured. I cannot do miracles at that level. I think we have great improvement from the past years in trying to protect the players from injury and helping them recover as soon as possible.
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