“Some of those players could play” - Wayne Rooney accuses injured Manchester United stars of ducking responsibility after Arsenal defeat
Wayne Rooney has accused Manchester United players of faking injuries to keep themselves fit for the EURO 2024.
Speaking on Sky Sports after Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday (May 12), Rooney said there are a few players who could be playing but are opting to sit out of games. He recalled his playing days when he chose to play with injuries.
"You need to want to play. I played with injuries. The manager needs to be ruthless and take that opportunity away from you. As long you haven't got a bad injury, you should want to play on that football pitch. For me, that doesn't seem that's the case," Rooney said.
He added:
"There are some very good players in that squad and the performances are way below par. You look at the injuries and some of those players could play 100 percent. You have a European Championships coming up and an FA Cup final coming up."
"It is easy for players to stay out for a little bit and then come back towards the European Championships. I have seen it myself over the years. I just think the players who have been injured are not filling themselves with any credit at the minute, and the manager's just going to take all the stick for them."
Manchester United lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday, with Leandro Trossard scoring the lone goal in the game. The loss means the Red Devils stay eighth on the Premier League table, with their European hopes now depending on the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25.
Manchester United players are done with Erik ten Hag, believes Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney has claimed that the Manchester United players are not turning up for Erik ten Hag. He believes that they have downed their tools.
"I don't think they're showing up very well [for Ten Hag]. I think the performances... there's some very good players in that squad, and the performances are way below," he said (via Sky Sports).
Reports suggest the Red Devils are looking to replace Ten Hag this summer. Graham Potter, Gareth Southgate, Robert de Zerbi, and Thomas Tuchel have been linked with the Old Trafford job.