Wayne Rooney claimed that Man United players are not willing to play while carrying a minor injury.
The former England striker’s accusation came after the Red Devils were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Man Utd currently have 11 players on the treatment table, more than any other club in the Premier League.
“You need to want to play,” Rooney told Sky Sports. “I played with injuries. The manager needs to be ruthless and take that opportunity away from you.
“As long you haven’t got a bad injury you should want to play on that football pitch. For me that doesn’t seem that’s the case.”
Rooney excoriated Man Utd’s performance in his post-match analysis after failing to lay a glove on Arsenal.
“With Manchester United they are so open at times it is incredible,” he said. “The space and the chances they are giving away is incredible. Any player in that defence I feel sorry for because it is such a difficult position to play in within that side.
The team looks disjointed. It is a team of individuals, and that is a concern. You look even at [teams in] the middle and bottom end of the table and there is a togetherness and compactness to them.”
Man Utd have now suffered nine defeats at home in the Premier League this season, their joint-most ever in a single campaign. That record could be broken on Wednesday when they welcome Newcastle United to Old Trafford in their final home fixture.
Erik ten Hag’s men travel to Brighton on the last day.
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