The form of the England skipper has been one of the biggest concerns at Old Trafford this season despite his manager having afforded him special treatment.
Wayne Rooney may have been absent when Wolfsburg drove the final nail into Manchester United’s Champions League coffin on Tuesday and also missed the previous defeat at PSV in the opening group fixture, but that makes him no less culpable for the embarrassing early exit which has left everyone at Old Trafford reeling.
The rigid style of play demanded by Louis van Gaal has certainly done nobody any favors, but Rooney’s complete lack of form this season has had a defining impact on United having lost much of its edge, even though he has been afforded countless allowances as the club’s captain and icon.