Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal maintains he has complete faith in Wayne Rooney ahead of the Uefa Champions League play-off against Club Brugge at Old Trafford tonight.
Rooney has been restored to his role as a central striker this season despite spending much of last term in midfield.
So far he has failed to find the net and has had no shots on target in two matches.
In Friday’s 1-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa, the United skipper only touched the ball in the away penalty box once – and that was when he was trying to run down the clock in injury time.
Van Gaal has decided against buying a striker in the transfer market and seems to have an unshakeable belief in the 29-year-old Englishman.
“All the media has written for one year that I have to put him in the striker’s position so it is very amazing that after two matches you already are doubting your own opinion. I cannot understand that,” the United manager said. “I have always confidence in my players but we don’t have only Wayne Rooney in the striker’s position.
“We have also Adnan Januzaj, Javier Hernandez and James Wilson so I don’t think we have a lack of strikers.”
Januzaj, a surprise starter on Friday, scored the only goal at Villa Park.
Van Gaal rejected the claim that he has not given enough playing time to the Belgian, who lacks consistency according to his manager.
“Adnan has eight starts last season and 14 substitutions so he didn’t have any chances? This is not true,” he said.
“The other players have no right (to start). Only Adnan has a right? No. He has to compete with 23 or 24 other players.”
But, wary of the consequences of failing to qualify for the group stages of the competition, Van Gaal said there is a lot riding on the two-legged tie.
“It’s a lot of pressure because our aim and goal is to reach the Champions League,” the Dutchman said.
“It is difficult because Brugge can defend very good and they can attack also, so it shall be a difficult match and that is why the pressure is high.”
Van Gaal refused to divulge whether goalkeeper David de Gea would be considered for selection after missing the last two games in light of Real Madrid’s interest in him.
“I don’t answer that,” he said.
Germany striker Miroslav Klose is starting his fifth season with Lazio after switching from Bayern Munich in 2011 and is determined to help Lazio reach Europe’s premier competition after an eight-year absence by defeating Bayer Leverkusen tonight.
“I can hardly wait,” Klose said. “Bayer is a strong team. With Bayern we always had trouble. It won’t be easy at all.”
