Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted that Wayne Rooney will continue in midfield over the next few games as a result of injuries suffered by the rest of the squad.
Rooney’s play during Man Utd’s recent games has been good, and his displays have been a contributing factor to the Old Trafford club’s winning streak, which saw them get three points for six games in a row until Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.
The England and Man Utd skipper has mainly played as a ball winning midfielder during that time, a far cry from his preferred position as a centre forward, where Robin van Persie, James Wilson and Radamel Falcao have been covering.
Injuries have hit Man Utd’s midfield, with the likes of Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini all expected to miss out on the boxing day game against Newcastle United.
Rooney will likely continue in midfield.
“Wayne is a player who can play in different positions and I like that because I like multi functional players,” Van Gaal said.
“That’s why I can use him as a midfielder, also as a striker and an attacking midfielder. The last game he was more a defensive midfielder.
“I like that he is also coming into the penalty area because he can score goals. He has the ability to run from box to box but I like him closer to the opponents penalty area than our goal.”
