The Stoke City boss felt Manchester United was weaker without its captain after he was left on the bench on Saturday.
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes believes Manchester United was weaker for dropping captain Wayne Rooney after overseeing the Potters' 2-0 win at the Britannia Stadium.
Rooney - who has struggled for goals this season - was left on the bench and introduced at halftime after Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic had put the game beyond Louis van Gaal's side.
The Dutchman faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford after a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions and Hughes felt the United skipper's first-half absence helped the home side.