Wayne Rooney has been ruled out of Manchester United's Champions League game against Valencia on Wednesday due to an ankle injury picked up during yesterday's draw against Bolton Wanderers.

Sir Alex Ferguson has told club officials the 24-year-old will not be fit enough to make the trip after being withdrawn during the second half of yesterday's game.

It is unclear how long Rooney will be out for, but he could possibly miss United's trip to Sunderland on Saturday, while England will hope the striker will be able to participate in their Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro on 12 October.

Some may feel it is a good time for Rooney to have a break. On ESPN yesterday, the pundit Kevin Keegan voiced his concern for the striker, who has scored only one goal for United this season, a penalty against West Ham United.

Meanwhile Nemanja Vidic has told his team-mates to cut out the defensive lapses that are wrecking their title bid. United have conceded nine goals in five Premier League games so far this season, and are three points behind the leaders, Chelsea.

"It is a big concern that we are conceding so many away goals," said Vidic. "We have to stop doing it. We cannot let it happen again.

"Over the last few years we haven't given that many goals away or even allowed them so many chances. Before we have always looked strong, so this is not what we are used to. We have to play much better in our away games."

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Darren Fletcher welcomes Owen Hargreaves's imminent comeback

• Fletcher says it is 'great' to have Hargreaves back in training
• 'Competition [for places] brings out the best in everyone'

 

Darren Fletcher has welcomed the competition for midfield places at Manchester United as Owen Hargreaves moves closer to a comeback.

Sir Alex Ferguson revealed last week that Hargreaves was back in training and pushing for a return after spending the best part of two years on the sidelines. The 29-year-old has managed just one minute of senior action since 2008 because of tendinitis in both knees.

"It's great to have him back and hopefully he can stay fit now and be a really important part of the squad," Fletcher told manutd.com. "The biggest thing for us is the determination and dedication he's shown.

"He's come back in the last few days and surprised everyone. He seems to be fit and doesn't have any problems on the injury front."

Two more midfielders are also back in contention following injury. Anderson played a full 90 minutes in the Carling Cup win at Scunthorpe, while Michael Carrick resumed training last week after recovering from an achilles problem.

"Competition is great, it brings the best out in everyone," Fletcher continued. "It's important you have a good squad because it's a long season. We experienced that last season with the amount of injuries we picked up, and that cost us a little bit.

"For me personally, I just have to keep my head down and work hard. I need to keep playing well and try to keep myself in the team each week because the players that are coming back into the squad will be desperate to play as well."

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